PLASMA GENERATION AND CONFINEMENT WITH CONTINUOUS WAVE LASERS

• Main Author: CONRAD, RAYMOND W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 23.02.1982
• Edition: 3
• Subjects: ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FUSION REACTORS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

Apparatus is described for the generation and confinement of plasma. This comprises a continuous wave laser for radiating energy as a beam to a focal plane, where an ignition device is provided to initiate a plasma when irradiated by said laser energy. A magnetic field is also provided, disposed so as to restrict normal motion of the plasma up the laser beam. A housing is provided to form an elongated chamber having a longitudinal axis along which the laser energy is directed to the ignition device. The magnetic field is disposed circumferentially around a portion of the axis, to contain the plasma between the magnetic field and the focal plane. Preferably, pressurizing apparatus are also provided for variably pressurizing the interior of said chamber. Still more preferably, the magnetic field is created by a superconductive magnetic coil, and the intensity of the laser beam is varied to vary the temperature of the plasma.