Plasma Confinement and Fusion
Plasma is a state in which atoms in a gas are ionized and separated into positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons.
Fusion is a reaction that occurs when two atomic nuclei (ions) collide at high speed and combine. Therefore, fusion reactions are more likely to occur by turning the fuel into a plasma state and confining it to a certain area (see the diagram below).
Plasma Confinement by Magnetic Field
Charged particles (ions and electrons) have the property of moving while coiling around magnetic field lines, as shown in the diagram below.
A method that confines plasma using magnetic field lines by such a property of charged particles is called “magnetic confinement method.” We adopt the “FRC (Field-Revered Configuration)” and the “Magnetic Mirror” among various “magnetic confinement methods.”
The FRC and the magnetic mirror are explained in detail on the following pages.