Alpha Channeling in a Rotating Plasma

TL;DR

This paper extends the alpha-channeling effect to rotating plasmas, showing how RF waves can enhance plasma confinement and fusion reactivity by interacting with alpha particles in a rotating mirror machine.

Contribution

It generalizes the alpha-channeling effect to include plasma rotation, revealing new mechanisms for energy transfer and plasma confinement in centrifugal fusion reactors.

Findings

RF waves can resonate with alpha particles in rotating plasma.

Alpha particles can enhance plasma rotation energy, improving confinement.

Rapid removal of alpha particles increases fusion reactivity.

Abstract

The wave-particle alpha-channeling effect is generalized to include rotating plasma. Specifically, radio frequency waves can resonate with alpha particles in a mirror machine with ExB rotation to diffuse the alpha particles along constrained paths in phase space. Of major interest is that the alpha-particle energy, in addition to amplifying the RF waves, can directly enhance the rotation energy which in turn provides additional plasma confinement in centrifugal fusion reactors. An ancillary benefit is the rapid removal of alpha particles, which increases the fusion reactivity.