An effective electrostatic-confinement based fusion approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel electrostatic-confinement fusion method utilizing a new ion-beam distribution function, achieving significant energy gain and low thermal energy, with potential for a new fusion device design.

Contribution

The paper derives a new non-equilibrium ion-beam distribution function for electrostatic confinement fusion, enabling higher reactivity and energy gain compared to traditional approaches.

Findings

Fusion time is comparable to confinement and transit times at >160 keV.

Estimated energy gain Q is around 10 at 160 keV and 10^18 cm^-3 density.

Energy loss due to scattering is considered in gain calculations.

Abstract

The paper reports a new electrostatic-confinement based fusion approach, where, a new non-equilibrium distribution function for an ion-beam, compressed by an external electric force, has been derived. This distribution function allows the system to possess appreciably low and insignificant thermal energy irrespective of the energy per particle. The spread in the energy among the particles is attributed to the collisions in presence of the external force, whereas; for equilibrium, the spreading in energy is due to the absence of the force. The reactivity for a deuterium-deuterium fusion, using the proposed distribution function, has been computed. It is shown that the fusion time is comparable to the energy confinement time, collision time and transit time of the ion for beam energy greater than 160 keV. The estimated energy gain Q (ratio of fusion power to the power consumed by the system) is around 10 for beam energy 160 keV and ion density 1018 cm-3. The energy loss due to particle scattering is estimated and is taken into consideration in the estimation of energy gain. An outline of a possible device is proposed according to the model and is not similar to conventionally used in IEC systems based on collisions of the beam with a reflex beam or with background gas or plasma.