On the confinement of charged particles in a magnetic field

Abstract

A self-sustained thermonuclear fusion reaction requires a high degree of particle confinement. A ring-shaped solid conductor placed in the interior of the reaction volume produces a strong poloidal magnetic field which traps particles completely, at least at low gas densities. The leads which supply current to the conductor can be arranged in a way such as to prevent particle losses out of the confinement volume. Modifications and improvements of the magnetic field configuration by the addition of auxiliary coils are discussed.