Drift-Energy Replacement Effect in Multi-Ion Magnetized Plasmas

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in multi-ion magnetized plasmas, collisional processes can transfer drift energy between ions, potentially reducing the energy required to sustain plasma rotation in fusion devices.

Contribution

It introduces the drift-energy replacement effect, a novel mechanism for energy transfer that can lower the energy costs of plasma rotation maintenance.

Findings

Collisional cross-field radial fueling enables energy transfer between ions.

The drift-energy replacement effect can reduce external energy input.

Potential implications for more efficient fusion plasma confinement.

Abstract

Fast rotation can improve the stability and confinement of fusion plasmas. However, to maintain a rapidly rotating fusion plasma in steady state, significant energy must be invested in spinning up each incoming fuel ion. We show here that, under the right circumstances, collisional cross-field radial fueling can directly transfer drift energy between outgoing and incoming ions without the need for external power recirculation, thereby reducing the energy costs of maintaining the rotation.