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Formation of a field reversed configuration for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma

  • US 7,180,242 B2
  • Filed: 05/19/2005
  • Issued: 02/20/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of confining a plasma of ions and electrons within a chamber comprising the steps ofapplying a magnetic field to the chamber,forming a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic field within a chamber,magnetically confining a plurality of plasma ions, andelectrostatically confining a plurality of plasma electrons,wherein the step of forming an FRC magnetic field comprises the steps ofinjecting ion beams into a background plasma within the reactor chamber and forming a rotating beam plasma,generating a poloidal magnetic self-field about the rotating beam plasma, andincreasing the rotating beam plasma'"'"'s rotational velocity to increase the magnetic self-field'"'"'s magnitude beyond the applied magnetic field'"'"'s magnitude causing field reversal internal to the rotating beam plasma and formation of the FRC.

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