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Scaling laws for spherical pinch experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

D. P. Singh
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare del C.N.R., Via del Giardino, 7–56127 Pisa, Italy
V. Palleschi
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare del C.N.R., Via del Giardino, 7–56127 Pisa, Italy
M. Vaselli
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare del C.N.R., Via del Giardino, 7–56127 Pisa, Italy
E. Panarella
Affiliation:
Advanced Laser and Fusion Technology, Inc., P.O. Box 8763, Alta Vista Terminal, Ottawa K1G 3J1, Canada

Abstract

In spherical pinch (SP) experiments, the plasma heated at the center of a cell to reach ignition temperature is confined by imploding shock waves for a time long enough to satisfy the Lawson criterion for plasma fusion. In earlier theoretical studies, the expansion of the central plasma either is neglected or is assumed to be radially uniform. In the present paper, the energy is considered to be deposited instantaneously at the center of the cell and the nonlinear heat conduction equation is solved to study the temporal evolution of the central plasma. Incorporating the ignition condition for the average temperature of the expanding fireball, and its confinement by imploding convergent shock waves, which may be fired from the periphery of the cell with some time delay, the scaling laws for satisfying the Lawson criterion are investigated in detail. The relevant calculations indicate that the cumulative effects of the convergent shock waves in the vicinity of the center of the cell play an important role in these scaling laws.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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References

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