MAGNETIC ELECTROSTATIC PLASMA-CONFINEMENT

Electrostatic plasma confinement and magnetic electrostatic plastic co nfinement (MEPC) have been studied tor four decades. The multiple pote ntial well hypothesis, postulated to explain high neutron yields from Hirsch's colliding beam experiment, has been supported by several piec es of evidence, but results were inconclusive. Magnetic shielding of t he grid was developed to reduce the required beam current and to preve nt grid overheating. Electrostatic plugging of magnetic cusps evolved to a similar configuration. Due to low budgets, early MEPC experiments used spindle cusps, which are poor for plasma confinement. Later expe riments used multipole cusps or a linear set of ring cusps, which have larger volumes of field-free plasma. To keep the self-shielding volta ge drop DELTAphi less-than-or-equal-to 100 kV, the electron density n( a) in the anode gap should be less than about 10(19) m-3. The central plasma density can be an order of magnitude higher. The ATOLL toroidal quadrupole had anomalous electron energy transport, but the Jupiter-2 M linear set of ring cusps achieved a transport rate about a factor of two above the classical Tate. With near-classical transport, a power gain ratio Q almost-equal-to 10 is predicted for a reactor with r(p) = 3m, B(a) = 6T, and applied voltage phi(A) = 400 kV. Besides producing electricity and synthetic fuels, MEPC reactors could be used for heav y ion beams sources and neutron generators. The main issues of concern for MEPC reactor development are electron transport, plasma purity an d electrode alignment and voltage holding.