Observation ofd-He3Fusion Reactions in a Tokamak Plasma

Abstract

$d$-${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ reactions have been observed in the Princeton Large Torus by detecting the unconfined 14.7-MeV proton. Reaction rates as high as 2×${10}^{13}$ ${\sec }^{-1\mathrm{}}$ resulting in 60 W of fusion power were obtained by 500-kW heating of a ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ minority in the ion-cyclotron range of frequencies to energies above 80 keV. The fusion-power multiplication of about ${10}^{-4\mathrm{}}$ is equal to the highest obtained in any controlled-fusion experiment.