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Quasi-isodynamic Stellarators
A quasi-isodynamic (QI) stellarator is a type of stellarator (a magnetic confinement fusion reactor) that satisfies the property of omnigeneity, avoids the potentially hazardous toroidal bootstrap current, and has minimal neoclassical transport in the collisionless regime. Wendelstein 7-X, the largest stellarator in the world, was designed to be roughly quasi-isodynamic (QI). In contrast to quasi-symmetric fields, exactly QI fields on flux surfaces cannot be expressed analytically. However, it has been shown that nearly-exact QI can be extremely well approximated through mathematical optimization, and that the resulting fields enjoy the aforementioned properties. In a QI field, level curves of the magnetic field strength B on a flux surface close poloidally (the short way around the torus), and not toroidally (the long way around), causing the stellarator to resemble a series of linked magnetic mirror A magnetic mirror, also known as a magnetic trap or sometimes as a pyrotro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stellarator
A stellarator confines Plasma (physics), plasma using external magnets. Scientists aim to use stellarators to generate fusion power. It is one of many types of magnetic confinement fusion devices. The name "stellarator" refers to stars because fusion mostly occurs in stars such as the Sun. It is one of the earliest human-designed fusion power devices. The stellarator was invented by American scientist Lyman Spitzer in 1951. Much of its early development was carried out by Spitzer's team at what became the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). Spitzer's Model A began operation in 1953 and demonstrated plasma confinement. Larger models followed, but demonstrated poor performance, losing plasma at rates far worse than theoretical predictions. By the early 1960s, hopes of producing a commercial machine faded, and attention turned to studying fundamental theory. By the mid-1960s, Spitzer was convinced that the stellarator was matching the Bohm diffusion rate, which suggested i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magnetic Confinement Fusion
Magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) is an approach to generate thermonuclear fusion power that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma (physics), plasma. Magnetic confinement is one of two major branches of controlled fusion research, along with inertial confinement fusion. Deuterium–tritium fusion, Fusion reactions for reactors usually combine light Atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei of deuterium and tritium to form an alpha particle (helium-4 nucleus) and a neutron, where the energy is released in the form of the kinetic energy of the reaction products. In order to overcome the Coulomb barrier, electrostatic repulsion between the nuclei, the fuel must have a temperature of hundreds of millions of kelvin, at which the fuel is fully Ionization, ionized and becomes a Plasma (physics), plasma. In addition, the plasma must be at a sufficient density, and the energy must remain in the reacting region for a sufficient time, as specified by the Lawson criterion (tri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Omnigeneity
Omnigeneity (sometimes also called omnigenity) is a property of a magnetic field inside a magnetic confinement fusion reactor. Such a magnetic field is called omnigenous if the path a single particle takes does not drift radially inwards or outwards on average. A particle is then confined to stay on a flux surface. All tokamaks are exactly omnigenous by virtue of their axisymmetry, and conversely an unoptimized stellarator is generally ''not'' omnigenous. Because an exactly omnigenous reactor has no neoclassical transport (in the collisionless limit), stellarators are usually optimized in a way such that this criterion is met. One way to achieve this is by making the magnetic field quasi-symmetric, and the Helically Symmetric eXperiment takes this approach. One can also achieve this property without quasi-symmetry, and Wendelstein 7-X is an example of a device which is close to omnigeneity without being quasi-symmetric. Theory The drifting of particles across flux surfaces ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bootstrap Current
In a toroidal fusion power device, a plasma is confined within a donut-shaped cylinder. If the gas pressure of the plasma varies across the radius of the cylinder, a self-generated current will spontaneously arise within the plasma, due to collisions between trapped particles and passing particles. This current is called the bootstrap current, and is commonly found in tokamak fusion devices. The tokamak uses a combination of external magnets and a current driven in the plasma to create a stable confinement system. One goal of advanced tokamak designs is to maximize the bootstrap current, and thereby reduce or eliminate the need for an external current driver. This could dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of the device. From a kinetic point of view, the bootstrap current is the effect of trapped particles (which practically lie on poloidal plane) and density gradient: the poloidal current due to trapped particles motion is unbalanced since the density is not constant, there ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neoclassical Transport
In Plasma (physics), plasma physics and magnetic confinement fusion, neoclassical transport or neoclassical diffusion is a theoretical description of collisional Transport phenomena, transport in toroidal plasmas, usually found in Tokamak, tokamaks or Stellarator, stellarators. It is a modification of classical diffusion adding in effects of non-uniform magnetic fields due to the toroidal geometry, which give rise to new diffusion effects. Description Classical transport models a plasma (physics), plasma in a magnetic field as a large number of particles traveling in helical paths around a Field line, line of force. In typical reactor designs, the lines are roughly parallel, so particles orbiting adjacent lines may collide and Scattering, scatter. This results in a random walk process which eventually leads to the particles finding themselves outside the magnetic field. Neoclassical transport adds the effects of the geometry of the fields. In particular, it considers the field ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wendelstein 7-X
The Wendelstein 7-X (abbreviated W7-X) reactor is an experimental stellarator built in Greifswald, Germany, by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), and completed in October 2015.Introduction – the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator Retrieved 5 November 2014. Its purpose is to advance stellarator technology: though this experimental reactor will not produce electricity, it is used to evaluate the main components of a future plant; it was developed based on the predecessor Wendelstein 7-AS experimental reactor. , the Wendelstein 7-X reactor is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quasisymmetry
In magnetic confinement fusion, quasisymmetry (sometimes hyphenated as quasi-symmetry) is a type of continuous symmetry in the magnetic field strength of a stellarator. Quasisymmetry is desired, as Noether's theorem implies that there exists a conserved quantity in such cases. This conserved quantity ensures that particles stick to the flux surface, resulting in better confinement and neoclassical transport. It is currently unknown if it is mathematically possible to construct a quasi-symmetric magnetic field which upholds magnetohydrodynamic force balance, which is required for stability. There are stellarator designs which are very close to being quasisymmetric, and it is possible to find solutions by generalizing the magnetohydrodynamic force balance equation. Quasisymmetric systems are a subset In mathematics, a Set (mathematics), set ''A'' is a subset of a set ''B'' if all Element (mathematics), elements of ''A'' are also elements of ''B''; ''B'' is then a superset of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flux Surface
In magnetic confinement fusion, a flux surface is a surface on which magnetic field lines lie. Since the magnetic field is divergence-free (and magnetic nulls are undesirable), the Poincare-Hopf theorem implies that such a surface must be either a torus, or a knot. In the tokamak and the stellarator flux surfaces have toroidal shapes, whereas the more exotic knotatron has a knotted flux surface. Flux surfaces are typically characterized by the poloidal magnetic flux In physics, specifically electromagnetism, the magnetic flux through a surface is the surface integral of the normal component of the magnetic field B over that surface. It is usually denoted or . The SI unit of magnetic flux is the we ... or the toroidal magnetic flux. The poloidal flux is the magnetic flux passing through a ribbon going from the magnetic axis (the centre of the device) to the flux surface, and the toroidal flux is the magnetic flux passing through a circle which encloses the magnetic axi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mathematical Optimization
Mathematical optimization (alternatively spelled ''optimisation'') or mathematical programming is the selection of a best element, with regard to some criteria, from some set of available alternatives. It is generally divided into two subfields: discrete optimization and continuous optimization. Optimization problems arise in all quantitative disciplines from computer science and engineering to operations research and economics, and the development of solution methods has been of interest in mathematics for centuries. In the more general approach, an optimization problem consists of maxima and minima, maximizing or minimizing a Function of a real variable, real function by systematically choosing Argument of a function, input values from within an allowed set and computing the Value (mathematics), value of the function. The generalization of optimization theory and techniques to other formulations constitutes a large area of applied mathematics. Optimization problems Opti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magnetic Mirror
A magnetic mirror, also known as a magnetic trap or sometimes as a pyrotron, is a type of magnetic confinement fusion device used in fusion power to trap high temperature Plasma (physics), plasma using magnetic fields. The mirror was one of the earliest major approaches to fusion power, along with the stellarator and z-pinch machines. In a classic magnetic mirror, a configuration of electromagnets is used to create an area with an increasing density of magnetic field lines at either end of a confinement volume. Particles approaching the ends experience an increasing force that eventually causes them to reverse direction and return to the confinement area. This mirror effect will occur only for particles within a limited range of velocities and angles of approach, while those outside the limits will escape, making mirrors inherently "leaky". An analysis of early fusion devices by Edward Teller pointed out that the basic mirror concept is inherently unstable. In 1960, Soviet resear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fusion Power
Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy. Devices designed to harness this energy are known as fusion reactors. Research into fusion reactors began in the 1940s, but as of 2025, no device has reached net power. Fusion processes require fuel, in a state of plasma, and a confined environment with sufficient temperature, pressure, and confinement time. The combination of these parameters that results in a power-producing system is known as the Lawson criterion. In stellar cores the most common fuel is the lightest isotope of hydrogen (Protium (isotope), protium), and gravity provides the conditions needed for fusion energy production. Proposed fusion reactors would use the heavy hydrogen isotopes of deuterium and tritium for DT fusion, for which the Lawson criterion is the easiest to achieve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuclear Reactors By Type
Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear operator *Nuclear congruence *Nuclear C*-algebra Biology Relating to the nucleus of the cell: * Nuclear DNA Society *Nuclear family, a family consisting of a pair of adults and their children Music * "Nuclear" (band), chilean thrash metal band * "Nuclear" (Ryan Adams song), 2002 *"Nuclear", a song by Mike Oldfield from his ''Man on the Rocks'' album * ''Nu.Clear'' (EP) by South Korean girl group CLC Films * ''Nuclear'' (film), a 2022 documentary by Oliver Stone. See also *Nucleus (other) *Nucleolus *Nucleation *Nucleic acid *Nucular ''Nucular'' is a common, proscribed pronunciation of the word "nuclear". It is a rough phonetic spelling of . The ''Oxford English Dictionary''s entry dates the word's first published appeara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
