3 ms·

> the plasma leaks out of the ends of the magnetic containment According to this link[1] posted by another commenter, they create a "axisymmetric mirror by po

> the plasma leaks out of the ends of the magnetic containment According to this link[1] posted by another commenter, they create a "axisymmetric mirror by positioning zones of high magnetic field near each end of the vessel so that they reflect a significant fraction of plasma particles escaping along the axis of the CFR." [1]: http://aviationweek.com/technology/skunk-works-reveals-compact-fusion-reactor-details http://aviationweek.com/technology/skunk-works-reveals-compa...

al2o3cr 12y ago
When you're dealing with a plasma at 20 million kelvin, the leftovers from that "significant fraction" that don't get reflected can really ruin your day... LLNL scientists almost tested a similar device (see 'MFTF') but the project was cancelled in 1986 before it was turned on.
- ChuckMcM 12y ago
  Reminded me of a quote, "It really is a vanishingly small amount of plasma that escapes from the device." "What part of 'It is just like the Sun' did you not understand?"
- Anjin 12y ago
  It is possible though that though earlier attempts failed because the computational resources and the plasma dynamics modeling available at the time were not sufficient to design such a reactor. I would guess that we have a much better understanding of plasma physics and faaaaar greater ability to model it now - that could lead to designs that can mitigate previously discovered issues with the concept.
titanomachy 12y ago
Your link is actually the original article that this post links to. (It does indeed contain the quoted sentence.)
Mvandenbergh 12y ago
Historically, the problem with the cylinder + mirror configuration is that there are discontinuities (corners) at the seams where the mirrors join on at the end. So you lose a lot of plasma there. Interested to see how they've overcome that.

3 ms·

> the plasma leaks out of the ends of the magnetic containment According to this link[1] posted by another commenter, they create a "axisymmetric mirror by po

by charonn0 12y ago

al2o3cr 12y ago
When you're dealing with a plasma at 20 million kelvin, the leftovers from that "significant fraction" that don't get reflected can really ruin your day... LLNL scientists almost tested a similar device (see 'MFTF') but the project was cancelled in 1986 before it was turned on.
- ChuckMcM 12y ago
  Reminded me of a quote, "It really is a vanishingly small amount of plasma that escapes from the device." "What part of 'It is just like the Sun' did you not understand?"
- Anjin 12y ago
  It is possible though that though earlier attempts failed because the computational resources and the plasma dynamics modeling available at the time were not sufficient to design such a reactor. I would guess that we have a much better understanding of plasma physics and faaaaar greater ability to model it now - that could lead to designs that can mitigate previously discovered issues with the concept.
titanomachy 12y ago
Your link is actually the original article that this post links to. (It does indeed contain the quoted sentence.)
Mvandenbergh 12y ago
Historically, the problem with the cylinder + mirror configuration is that there are discontinuities (corners) at the seams where the mirrors join on at the end. So you lose a lot of plasma there. Interested to see how they've overcome that.