On the ignition of a self-sustained fusion reaction in a dense DT plasma

Abstract

Ignition of a self-sustained fusion reaction in a strong magnetic field is studied. The critical ignition dimensions and the threshold ignition energy are calculated as functions of the fuel density and the magnitude of the transverse magnetic field. A new method for producing ultra-high magnetic fields is proposed which provides at once heating of the fuel by induction currents and localization of the micro-explosion by the magnetic field. Simple analytic estimates show that a certain combination of inertial, magnetic and wall methods of plasma confinement may decrease the ignition energy below 100 kJ.