Present status of the Ion Ring Compressor approach to fusion

The paper provides a short review of the present research status with regard to the Ion Ring Compressor. A consideration of the reactor characteristics of this fusion scheme indicates the potential for a number of technologically and economically interesting features, in particular with respect to the high-confinement characteristics expected for such minimum-B configurations. Experimental results from the RECE-program at Cornell indicate generally good gross stability of strong electron rings, including purely collisional decay, stability against field perturbations and others. Most-recent experiments have extended the ring lifetime to more than 2 × 10
⁵
electron orbits. Strong electron rings have been shifted over an axial distance of up to 30 cm. Experiments with magnetic-field insulated diodes indicate ion pulses of up to 300 nsec, and field insulation of up to 800 nsec when metallic electrodes are used.