Wave-Driven Rotation In Centrifugal Mirrors
Authors: Abraham J. Fetterman and Nathaniel J. Fisch
Abstract: Centrifugal mirrors use supersonic rotation to provide axial confinement and enhanced stability. Usually
the rotation is produced using electrodes, but these electrodes have limited the rotation to the Alfven critical
ionization velocity, which is too slow to be useful for fusion. Instead, the rotation could be produced using
radio frequency waves. A fixed azimuthal ripple is a simple and efficient wave that could produce rotation
by harnessing alpha particle energy. This is an extension of the alpha channeling effect. The alpha particle
power and efficiency in a simulated devices is sufficient to produce rotation without external energy input. By
eliminating the need for electrodes, this opens new opportunities for centrifugal traps.
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Accepted to: Transactions on Fusion Science and Technology (June 2010)
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Download PPPL-4611 (pdf 427 KB 4 pp)
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