Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion

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Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion

• J. C. Sprott
• Department of Physics
• University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Presented to
• Physics 208
• on October 30, 1998

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Outline

• Fission versus Fusion
• Requirements for Fusion
• Plasma Characteristics
• Plasma Confinement
• Experimental Devices

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Advantages of Fusion

• Inexhaustible Supply of Fuel
• Relatively Safe and Clean
• Possibility of Direct Conversion

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Requirements for Fusion

• High Temperatures
• Adequate Densities
• Adequate Confinement
• Lawson Criterion nt gt 1020 s/m3

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Two Approaches

• Inertial Confinement
• n ? 1030 / m3
• t ? 10-10 s
• Magnetic Confinement
• n ? 1020 / m3
• t ? 1 s

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Magnetic Confinement

• Magnetic Field Limit B lt 5 T
• Pressure Balance nkT ? 0.1B2/2?0
• gt n ? 1020 / m3 _at_ T 108 K
• Atmospheric density is 2 x 1025 / m3
• Good vacuum is required
• Pressure nkT ? 1 atmosphere
• Confinement t ? 1 s
• A 10 keV electron travels 30,000 miles in 1 s

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