On the confinement of charged particles in a magnetic field

Abstract

A self-sustained thermonuclear fusion reaction requires a high degree of particle confinement. A ring-shaped solid conductor placed in the interior of the reaction volume produces a strong poloidal magnetic field which traps particles completely, at least at low gas densities. The leads which supply current to the conductor can be arranged in a way such as to prevent particle losses out of the confinement volume. Modifications and improvements of the magnetic field configuration by the addition of auxiliary coils are discussed. Injection of ions into the confinement volume is discussed briefly as well as a number of other possible heating mechanisms. A short consideration of the stability problem is also given at the end of the present paper.