Abstract
This paper explores the feasibility of a break-even-class mirror referred to as BEAM (break-even axisymmetric mirror): a neutral-beam-heated simple mirror capable of thermonuclear-grade parameters and
$Q\sim 1$
conditions. Compared with earlier mirror experiments in the 1980s, BEAM would have: higher-energy neutral beams, a larger and denser plasma at higher magnetic field, both an edge and a core and capabilities to address both magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic stability of the simple mirror in higher-temperature plasmas. Axisymmetry and high-field magnets make this possible at a modest scale enabling a short development time and lower capital cost. Such a
$Q\sim 1$
configuration will be useful as a fusion technology development platform, in which tritium handling, materials and blankets can be tested in a real fusion environment, and as a base for development of higher-
$Q$
mirrors.
Funder
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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