Reply To: Energy Policy in Chile – Economist Article

[MTd2]

AaronB wrote: There are two separate processes going on. First, the axial field coil is used to impart a small amount of spin to the plasma sheath so the filaments merge gently. After the filaments merge into a single filament, that new filament generates its own large magnetic field that compresses the filament, known as a z-pinch. At that point, the filament starts to coil like a spring or telephone cord. The coils attract each other and collapse into the smallest stable shape, a toroid. The toroid continues to shrink under its own massive theta-pinch forces, and when the conditions are right, the energetic ions get squeezed so hard that they begin to fuse. The high magnetic fields keep the ions and electrons from bouncing in all different directions, thus preventing the production of a lot of X-rays.

So there are 4 stages:

1. The axial field coil is used to impart a small amount of spin to the plasma sheath so the filaments merge gently.

2. The filaments merge into a single filament, that new filament generates its own large magnetic field that compresses the filament, known as a z-pinch. At that point, the filament starts to coil like a spring or telephone cord.

3. The coils attract each other and collapse into the smallest stable shape, a toroid.

4. The toroid continues to shrink under its own massive theta-pinch forces, and when the conditions are right, the energetic ions get squeezed so hard that they begin to fuse.

So, the problem is in the transition between 1 and 2. Right?

In my mind the problem is between 2 and 3. Why “a” toroid, and not 1 or more toroids with a lot of randomly wasted electrons?