Space X wants to build such a reusable rocket:
Why don't they instead use a foldable rotor and land the thing with autorotation?
I mean it wouldn't take any fuel.
Simple question: what's the density distribution of a plasma cloud confined in a magnetic bottle?
On the plane perpendicular to the central axis, Is it normally distributed or is it uniformly distributed inside a circle or is it something more complicated?
I was taught (In my old thread which was then closed by a mentor) that it is impossible to magnetically confine a plasma ball. But I've since then had an idea how it could be possible:
Instead of using a steady magnetic field, use a rapidly rotating magnetic field.
The field lines are always...
Yes that's what I wanted to do, I've never heard of the Z-machine though.
Ok, it seems like this Stellarator-spheromak could let the plasma implode into a small ball if done right (note that the green coils form a magnetic mirror machine).
I think you're wrong about that. The explosion...
I found this: http://wsx.lanl.gov/Plasma-Jet-Workshop-08/parks.pdf
What they do is shooting plasma at the center.
And this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetized_Liner_Inertial_Fusion
They use magnets for compression.
I wonder how many fusion reactors have already been invented.
Ok, please explain what's unrealistic about it.
Is it impossible to unload the capacitor that fast?
Or is the plasma ball not symmetrical enough for the implosion?
Or would the coils have too much resistance for such strong currents?
The advantage of a magnetic mirror machine is that it can hold a plasma ball instead of a plasma torus.
A plasma ball has a better volume to surface ratio which would allow a more efficient explosion,
for the same reason H-bombs aren't doughnut shaped.
What about fusing Helium-3 with...
Maybe a magnetic bottle could do the job. And maybe it is possible to implode the plasma because the initial temperature of the plasma ball is much lower than the temperature of the plasma in a tokamak reactor.
Coils produce a magnetic field which confines a big plasma ball.
The magnetic field is rapidly increased which makes the plasma ball implode.
In the compressed state fusion happens. The plasma ball explodes
and compresses the surrounding magnetic field.
This produces more induction in the...