Controlled thermonuclear fusion physics: magnetic confinement (tokamak, stellarator, spherical torus, field-reversed configuration) and inertial confinement (laser direct-drive, laser indirect-drive, Z-pinch). Central criteria: Lawson…
fusion-physics
Lawson triple product: nτT ≥ 3·10²¹ keV·s/m³ for DT ignition at T ≈ 10-25 keV
Lawson (1957) power-balance criterion for self-sustained fusion: the plasma density n, energy-confinement time τ_E, and ion temperature T…
Greenwald density limit: n̄_G = I_p/(π a²) · 10²⁰ m⁻³ (I_p in MA, a in m)
Greenwald empirical density limit (1988): in a circular tokamak with plasma current I_p (MA) and minor radius a (m), the line-averaged…
Troyon β limit: β_max[%] = β_N · I_p/(a·B) with β_N ≤ 2.8 for ideal MHD
Troyon (1984) ideal-MHD stability limit on the tokamak β = ⟨p⟩/(B²/2μ₀). For circular cross-section the scaling is β_max[%] = β_N ·…
Bootstrap current: self-generated toroidal current ∝ ε^{1/2}·(dp/dψ)
Neoclassical 'bootstrap' current (Bickerton-Connor-Taylor 1971): a fraction of the tokamak toroidal current arises spontaneously from…
Edge-localized mode (ELM): H-mode pedestal relaxation via peeling-ballooning
In H-mode tokamak operation, the edge pedestal pressure gradient ∇p and bootstrap-driven edge current j_∥ grow between transport relaxation…
ICF hydrodynamic instability: RT growth γ = √(g·k) at shell/gas interface
Inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) laser-driven implosion compresses a hollow DT-ice pellet by factor ~30 in radius and ~1000 in density (to…