A5086467800- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics
- Particle accelerators and beam dynamics
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Plasma Diagnostics and Applications
- Fusion materials and technologies
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
- Laser Design and Applications
- Advances in Oncology and Radiotherapy
- Radiation Dose and Imaging
- Cold Fusion and Nuclear Reactions
- Particle Accelerators and Free-Electron Lasers
- Nuclear reactor physics and engineering
- Advanced Radiotherapy Techniques
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Global Energy Security and Policy
- Nuclear Materials and Properties
- Advancements in Semiconductor Devices and Circuit Design
- Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design
- Advanced Data Storage Technologies
- Global Energy and Sustainability Research
- Superconducting Materials and Applications
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Terahertz technology and applications
Tri Alpha Energy (United States)
2015-2025
Conventional field-reversed configurations (FRCs), high-beta, prolate compact toroids embedded in poloidal magnetic fields, face notable stability and confinement concerns. These can be ameliorated by various control techniques, such as introducing a significant fast ion population. Indeed, adding neutral beam injection into the FRC over past half-decade has contributed to striking improvements stability. Further, addition of electrically biased plasma guns at ends, end plugs, advanced...
A hot stable field-reversed configuration (FRC) has been produced in the C-2 experiment by colliding and merging two high-β plasmoids preformed dynamic version of θ-pinch technology. The process exhibits highest poloidal flux amplification obtained a magnetic confinement system (over tenfold increase). Most kinetic energy is converted into thermal with total temperature (T{i}+T{e}) exceeding 0.5 keV. final FRC state record lifetime approaching classical values. These findings should have...
TAE Technologies' research is devoted to producing high temperature, stable, long-lived field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas by neutral-beam injection (NBI) and edge biasing/control. The newly constructed C-2W experimental device (also called 'Norman') the world's largest compact-toroid (CT) device, which has several key upgrades from preceding C-2U such as higher input power longer pulse duration of NBI system well installation inner divertors with upgraded electrode biasing systems....
TAE Technologies, Inc. (TAE) is pursuing an alternative approach to magnetically confined fusion, which relies on field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas composed of mostly energetic and well-confined particles by means a state-of-the-art tunable energy neutral-beam (NB) injector system. TAE's current experimental device, C-2W (also called 'Norman'), the world's largest compact-toroid device has made significant progress in FRC performance, producing record breaking, high temperature...
Field reversed configurations (FRCs) with high confinement are obtained in the C-2 device by combining plasma gun edge biasing and neutral beam injection. The creates an inward radial electric field that counters usual FRC spin-up. n = 2 rotational instability is stabilized without applying quadrupole magnetic fields. FRCs nearly axisymmetric, which enables fast ion confinement. also produces E × B shear layer, may explain observed improved particle transport. times factors to 4, lifetimes...
Developing a stable plasma state with high-beta (ratio of to magnetic pressures) is critical importance for an economic fusion reactor. At the forefront this endeavour field-reversed configuration. Here we demonstrate kinetic stabilizing effect fast ions on disruptive magneto-hydrodynamic instability, known as tilt mode, which poses central obstacle further configuration development, by energetic beam injection. This technique, combined synergistic active boundary control, enables fully...
Tri Alpha Energy's experimental program has demonstrated reliable field-reversed configuration (FRC) formation and sustainment, driven by fast ions via high-power neutral-beam (NB) injection. The world's largest compact-toroid device, C-2U, was upgraded from C-2 with the following key system upgrades: increased total NB input power ~4 MW (20 keV hydrogen) to 10+ (15 tilted injection angle; enhanced edge-biasing capability inside of each end divertor for boundary/stability control. C-2U...
Plasma flow and acceleration in a magnetic mirror configuration are studied using drift-kinetic particles-in-cell model the paraxial approximation, with an emphasis on finite temperature effects energy transport. Energy conversion between electrons ions, overall balance, axial losses investigated. The simulations of plasma flow, acceleration, transport extended into high-density regimes implicit particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that profiles anisotropic ion temperatures heat fluxes...
Plasma flow and acceleration in a magnetic mirror configuration are studied using drift-kinetic particles-in-cell model the paraxial approximation, with an emphasis on finite temperature effects energy transport. Energy conversion between electrons ions, overall balance, axial losses investigated. The simulations of plasma flow, acceleration, transport extended into high-density regimes implicit particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that profiles anisotropic ion temperatures heat fluxes...
A high temperature field reversed configuration (FRC) has been produced in the newly built, world’s largest compact toroid (CT) facility, C-2, by colliding and merging two high-β CTs using advanced field-reversed θ-pinch technology. This long-lived, stable merged state exhibits following key properties: (1) apparent increase poloidal flux from first pass to final state, (2) significantly improved confinement compared conventional FRCs with decay rates approaching classical values some cases,...
Large field reversed configurations (FRCs) are produced in the C-2 device by combining dynamic formation and merging processes. The good confinement of these FRCs must be further improved to achieve sustainment with neutral beam (NB) injection pellet fuelling. A plasma gun is installed at one end attempt electric control FRC edge layer. inward radial counters usual spin-up mitigates n = 2 rotational instability without applying quadrupole magnetic fields. Better centering also obtained,...
Ion acceleration resulting from the interaction of 11 fs laser pulses ~35 mJ energy with ultrahigh contrast (<10^-10), and 10^19 W/cm^2 peak intensity foil targets made various materials thicknesses at normal (0-degree) 45-degree incidence is investigated. The maximum protons accelerated both rear front sides target was above 1 MeV. A conversion efficiency pulse to proton beam estimated be as high ~1.4 % using a 51 nm-thick Al target. excellent indicates predominance vacuum heating via...
Abstract TAE Technologies’ fifth-generation fusion device, C-2W (also called ‘Norman’), is the world’s largest compact-toroid device and has made significant progress in field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma performance. produces record breaking, macroscopically stable, high-temperature advanced beam-driven FRC plasmas, dominated by injected fast particles sustained steady state, which primarily limited neutral-beam (NB) pulse duration. The NB power supply system recently been upgraded...
Simulations of photoneutron generation are presented for the anticipated experimental campaign at ELI-ALPS using under-commissioning e-SYLOS beamline. Photoneutron is a three-step process starting with creation relativistic electron beam which converted to gamma radiation, in turn generates neutrons via γ,n interaction high-Z material. Electrons accelerated energies laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) mechanism. The LWFA simulated three-dimensional particle cell code generate an bunch 100s...
The advanced beam-driven FRC is a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) with the addition of neutral beam (NB) injection, electrode biasing, and magnetic expander divertors. resulting configuration has novel features that make it necessary to revisit many key results in theory. Three these include (i) large energetic ion population, (ii) in-principle capability adjust electric field rotation profiles, (iii) combination electrostatic confinement electrons SOL. In some fueling scenarios electron...
The field reversed configuration (FRC), such as studied in the C-2W experiment at TAE Technologies, is an attractive candidate for realizing a nuclear fusion reactor. In FRC, kinetic ion effects play majority role macroscopic stability, which allows global stability studies to make use of fluid-kinetic hybrid (also referred Ohm's law) models wherein ions are treated kinetically while electrons fluid. development and validation particle-in-cell algorithm Exascale Computing Project code WarpX...
We introduce a concept of laser-generated neutrons to transmute transuranic elements separated from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and dissolved in molten salt form subcritical core whose liquid state allows facilitates safety, laser irradiation, monitoring chemical physical properties. In this transmutation (the transmutator), the are generated via beam-target fusion whereas beam is created by irradiation nanometric foils through Coherent Acceleration Ions Laser (CAIL) process. This relatively...
C-2 is a unique, large compact-toroid (CT) device at Tri Alpha Energy that produces field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas by colliding and merging oppositely directed CTs. Significant progress has recently been made on C-2, achieving ~5 ms stable with dramatic improvement in confinement, far beyond the prediction from conventional FRC scaling. This stable, long-lived plasma state called high-performance (HPF) regime. The key approaches to achieve HPF regime are as follows: (i) dynamic...
In modern field-reversed configuration (FRC) experiments (Binderbauer et al 2015 Phys. Plasmas 22 056110) at TAE Technologies, classical FRC instabilities are suppressed by advanced neutral beam injection and edge biasing methods, leading to high plasma confinement fast ion pressure built-up which is comparable the bulk pressure. some of these performance plasmas, a new macroscopically non-destructive driven micro-burst instability observed as periodic small amplitude bursts with frequency...
In the scrape-off-layer (SOL) of a field-reversed configuration, neutral beam injection can drive modes in vicinity ion-cyclotron frequency. Depending on their properties, these have differing macroscopic effects plasma. Using particle-in-cell simulations and semi-analytical methods, this work examines properties various categories that be excited SOL environment, taking an ion beta 10%. Propagation angle are scanned from 0° to 90° with respect external magnetic field. The linear physics is...
Recent developments in fiber lasers and nanomaterials have allowed the possibility of using laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) as source low-energy electron radiation for endoscopic intraoperative brachytherapy, a technique which sources cancer treatment are brought directly to affected tissues, avoiding collateral damage intervening tissues. To this end, dynamics LWFA is examined high-density regime. In near-critical density regime, electrons accelerated by ponderomotive force followed an...