FPN17-14
Magnetic Mirrors Revisited
April 23, 2017
Fusion veterans Ken Fowler, Ralph Moir and Tom Simonen have published a
paper "A New Simpler Way to Obtain High Fusion Power Gain in Tandem
Mirrors" in the IAEA journal Nuclear Fusion (2017, 57, 056014). The
article builds on recent experiments in the Gas Dynamic Trap device at
the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, Russia (Ivanov
and Prikhodko, 2013, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 55, 063001;
see also talk by T. Simonen at Fusion Power Associates 2015 Annual
Meeting posted at
http://fire.pppl.gov/fpa15_mirror_path_simonen.pdf ).
The article extends the high temperature "Kinetically Stabilized Tandem
Mirror" concept favored by R. F. Post. by taking "advantage of recent
advances in superconducting magnet technology to minimize the size and
cost of End Plugs," and utilizing "parallel advances in gyrotrons that
would enable intense electron cyclotron heating in these high field End
Plugs."
The authors assert that these advances "make tandem mirrors a viable
candidate to burn advanced fuels in the future, and also improves
performance of deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel in the nearer term." They
acknowledge that "radial losses remain an issue that will ultimately
determine reactor viability."
Copies of the paper may be requested from the authors:
Ken Fowler: carolfow@aol.com
Ralph Moir: rmoir@pacbell.net
Tom Simonen: Simonen42@yahoo.com
or from Fusion Power Associates; fusionpwrassoc@aol.com