Preparation for Pb11 pinch and burn.

[digh]

When I spoke to Murali at Ruby Foos, he mentioned preparation for the next to last 2010 goal, Pb11 fusion pinch and :smirk: burn. Now that the switching problem seems to be on the mend, could we have an update on specific preparations toward this milestone.

[Augustine]

Very exciting. How are they going to confirm fusion? Will they look for Helium?

[Aeronaut]

Augustine wrote: Very exciting. How are they going to confirm fusion? Will they look for Helium?

They have oscilloscopes monitoring the voltages on the Rogowski coils. A sudden plunge on the main coil shows that a lot (unfortunately nowhere near the ideal 100% this year) of the magnetic energy was transferred into the plasmoid. Two more Rogowski coils in the drift tube monitor the helium ion beam’s exhaust energies.

Since a low energy neutron is made in less than 1% of the fusion reactions, and thousands of reactions occur in every plasmoid, a few low energy neutrons will be generated every shot, if I’m understanding this correctly. That’s why it was so important to properly calibrate the neutron detectors using deuterium before switching to the pB11 fuel.

I imagine the Donald Duck test will prove that helium is being made 😆

[digh]

Thanks for the system breakdown Aeronaut. When the last “Duck Test” was run with Deuterium did any of the data not accord with anticipated results or require any significant modifications?

[Breakable]

Just in case you did not catch the joke:

[digh]

Got it. But seriously I was hoping to shake the tree and have the latest results fall out. Just overanxious I guess!

[Author]

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