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Three Game Changing Discoveries: A Simpler Fusion Concept?

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Abstract

This paper encourages exploration of a broad range of magnetic fusion concepts in parallel with mainline tokamak development. Such exploration will certainly lead to increased understanding of fusion science and possibly to an attractive fusion energy concept. As an example, this paper describes three discoveries which greatly increase the attractiveness of the magnetic mirror plasma confinement concept. The mirror concept is thought to have three unattractive characteristics. The magnets are complex, the plasma is plagued with micro-instabilities and the electron temperature would never approach required keV levels. Persistent research on the gas dynamic trap device at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Russia and elsewhere have overcome these three deficiencies. Stable high energy density plasma can be confined with simple circular magnets, micro-instabilities can be tamed, and electron temperatures reaching a keV have been measured. These three accomplishments provide a basis to reconsider the mirror concept as a neutron source for medical applications, fusion materials development, nuclear fuel production, and fusion energy production.

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Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Peter Bagryansky, Alexander Ivanov, Ralph Moir, Art Molvik, Dimitri Ryutov and many former colleagues for valuable discussions. Fundamentals of magnetic mirror confinement can be found in References [30–33] in which the late fusion pioneer Richard F. Post played a seminal role.

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  1. University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Thomas C. Simonen

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  1. Thomas C. Simonen
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Correspondence to Thomas C. Simonen.

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Simonen, T.C. Three Game Changing Discoveries: A Simpler Fusion Concept?. J Fusion Energ 35, 63–68 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-015-0017-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-015-0017-2

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