Power Amplification Conditions for Fusion-Reactor Plasmas Heated by Reacting Ion Beams

Abstract

The plasma energy confinement time required to achieve a practically useful power amplification factor $Q_E$ can be reduced substantially if the plasma is heated by an energetic ion beam that reacts with the bulk ions as it thermalizes. The contribution to $Q_E$ arising from the beam-plasma fusion reactions can be maximized by maintaining the post-injection energy of the beam ions near an optimum value, for example, by means of slow magnetic compression.