3 ms·
To underscore how challenging magnetic fusion is, here is a thought experiment: imagine you have a ring collider system that collides d with t at the energy whi
by yummypaint 7y ago
To underscore how challenging magnetic fusion is, here is a thought experiment: imagine you have a ring collider system that collides d with t at the energy which maximizes the probability of fusion. Assume the ions circulate with 0 energy loss except by colliding with the other species of ions. When an ion loses energy in this way, assume its kinetic energy is immediately restored with perfect efficiency. Assume fusion energy is recovered with 100% efficiency. Even with this super idealized head-on collision setup you wouldn't recover enough fusion energy to power the accelerator.
- OnlineGladiator 7y ago> imagine you have a ring collider system I'm pretty sure you already lost most people here that isn't a physicist.
- BitwiseFool 7y agoImagine you have a giant magnet and using it makes you lose money.
- MattPalmer1086 7y agoThat doesn't really help me understand how challenging it is. You say that a ring collider would be useless as a fusion energy source. I've never heard of a proposal to use a ring collider to create fusion energy, they're for investigating particle physics. So I'm left none the wiser - what am I missing?
- sbierwagen 7y agoWhere are you losing power from then, bremsstrahlung?
- yummypaint 7y agoThis assumess brem from the ring itself is negligible. Energy loss is from any interaction between ions that doesnt result in fusion. This includes stuff that would scatter ions out of the beam in reality, but in the charitable model its assumed their momenta are immediately reset to the most desirable value with perfect efficiency. In reality this would not be possible due to phase space considerations (Liouville theorem)