Self-consistent equilibria are obtained for high beta plasma where almost all of the ions are energetic with a gyroradius of the order of the plasma scale length. Magnetohydrodynamics would not apply to such a plasma. Recent experiments with tokamaks suggest that it would be insensitive to microinstabilities. Several methods are described for creating the plasma with intense neutralized ion beams.

/pdf/magnetic-fusion-with-high-energy-self-colliding-ion-beams-4vnhtgv0gc.pdf

Magnetic fusion with high energy self-colliding ion beams.

Beams of neutralized plasma will cross a transverse magnetic field, magnetized plasma, and neutral gas, by a combination of single particle and collective‐plasma processes. At low density the beam will deflect; at higher density the beam will exhibit undeflected motion by the E×B drift or diamagnetic (high‐beta) exclusion of the magnetic field. In the high‐beta regime, where β>1 (β is the ratio of plasma‐beam energy density to magnetic field energy density), beam magnetization occurs on a time scale orders of magnitude faster than the classical Spitzer time scale. Recent studies of fast magnetization suggest that transport processes in large ion gyroradius beams, y/ρi 1, where y and ρi are the beam transverse width and ion gyroradius, respectively. Although quantitative aspects of the small gyroradius propagation physics theory are still valid, most notably the E×B drift, much work remains ...

/pdf/propagation-of-neutralized-plasma-beams-12tcmkltpd.pdf

Propagation of neutralized plasma beams

When injected across an ambient magnetic field, a stream of collisionless plasma polarizes, and the resulting polarization electric field may allow the stream to penetrate the magnetic field. The polarization charge spreads from the stream sides along the magnetic‐field lines and any ambient plasma that is magnetically connected to the stream will be picked up to form Alfven wings of co‐moving plasma. As the stream and wing plasmas move across the magnetic field, their outer edges are continually stripped off. Because of these processes, the stream must expend charge, momentum, and kinetic energy in order to continue its cross‐field motion. These expenditures derive from five requirements of charge from the stream: charge is required (1) to polarize the stream plasma, (2) to replace the charge stripped from the stream’s edges as it propagates, (3) to set up the Alfven wings on the stream, (4) to replace the charge stripped from the sides of the wings as they propagate, and (5) to supply any conduction currents in the ambient plasma. By using idealized stream configurations, approximate limits on the propagation distance are obtained.

Limits on the cross‐field propagation of streams of cold plasma

A one‐dimensional electrostatic particle simulation code has been used to study a plasma streaming across a uniform magnetic field in vacuum. It is found that the plasma may be convected across the magnetic field even if the density is less than the critical density nc necessary to maintain steady propagation. For all densities studied, polarization charge layers are formed, but they do not become steady for plasmas with n/nc<1. For plasma densities at n<nc, the electric field keeps oscillating with the upper hybrid frequency, but for nc<n, the amplitude of the oscillations are damped at later times. The mechanism that produces this damping is associated with a nonlinear wave–particle interaction. For unequal mass species, the simulations show that the heavier particles are convected faster than the lighter ones; thus the positive particles move in front and the negatives move behind creating a virtual cathode. The polarization charge layers are asymmetric, with the thicker layer corresponding to the heav...

Computer simulation of a plasma streaming across a magnetic field

From recent tokamak research, there is considerable experimental evidence that superthermal ions slow down and diffuse classically in the presence of turbulent fluctuations that cause anomalous transport of thermal ions. Further more, research on field-reversed configurations at Los Alamos is consistent with the view that kinetic effects suppress instability growth when the ratio of plasma radius to ion orbital radius is small; turbulence is enhanced and confinement degrades when this ratio increases. Motivated by these experiments, we consider a plasma consisting of large-orbit non-adiabatic ions and adiabatic electrons. For such a plasma, it is possible that the anomalous transport characteristic of tokamaks can be avoided and a compact reactor design becomes viable.

Turbulent transport in magnetic confinement: how to avoid it

A beam of potassium plasma of 1012 cm-3 density from a continuous magnetoplasma-dynamic arc source has been propagated into a magnetic mirror device in a direction transverse to the magnetic field. A self induced polarization and E*B drift of the beam was observed. The plasma filled the magnetic mirror to a density of 1012 cm-3 when insulating end plugs were used. The density was slightly reduced if the mirror ratio was reduced to unity and was reduced to 1011 cm-3 if the end plugs were made conducting thus shorting the electric field. The temperature of the trapped plasma corresponded to approximately two thirds of the energy in the initial motion of the beam. These results are discussed qualitatively in terms of the polarization drift model of Schmidt (1960). The possible application of this injection technique to tandem mirrors is discussed briefly.

Cross field injection and trapping of a continuous plasma beam in a magnetic mirror

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Cross field injection and trapping of a continuous plasma beam in a magnetic mirror