PLASMA PHYSICS AND THE PROBLEM OF THE CONTROLLED THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS VOLUME I

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A004700490002-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 70
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: REPORT

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PL.ASA ?iI ST 1U
PRtBLEM CF TM C014TROLL t` 1&T,aM.O:UCLE REACTIONS
PREFACE
The present collection consists of articles in which are presented the
theoretical and experimental investigations carried out in 1951-1958 in the
Institute of Atomic Energy of the U331 Acedeny of Science on th,e problem of
the controlled thermonuclear reaction and on the questions of the physics of
plasm associated with it. Only those articles which have not been previously
published in the press are included in this arltiele collection.. The collection
is divided into four volumes and the articles are presented generally in
chronological order.
The editorial work in this collection was carried out by the candidate
?
of physical mathematical sciences, V. I. 1:oflan.
Responsible Editor
Academician M. A. Leontovich
I. E . %mm: Theory of the Magnetic Thermonuclear Reactor. Part I. (Work
completed in 1951); pp. 3-19.
`1.his basic article can be best characterized by giving the headings of
the various sections:
(1) The motion of a Charged R3,rticle in Crossed Fields.
(2) Kinetic Equations. First Approximate Theory (Neglect of Collisions).
(3) Second Approximation of the Theory, the Role of Collisions. Beat
Donductivity and Viscosity of the Plasma.
(1~) An Orienting Calculation of a & .11 Model of a Controlled Thermonuclear
Reactor with Heating at a Temperature Discontinuity.
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-2 -
Sakkaroly: Theory of the ti; nctic `!,,err_o uclear Reactor. Part I.L. (Work
carried rnut sn 1951.); pp.
"The (previour,) article by 1. E. U:m:a presented the properties of the
'.empl rature plasma in a ragnr t i. ficld and gave hope for realizing the
controlled thermonuclear reactor. We are nresentinj in this article other
questions in the theory of the controlled t er:ionuclear reactor and., in
-gar ; I cu l.a.r :
(1) 'lliermonuclear reactions Brax, strahien.
''alculation of a large model. Critical radius. Boundary phenomena.
(3) The extent of 'netivation. Optiu.al construction. Productivity with
respect to active species.
(4) Drift in &R-h a non-homogeneour, magnetic field, and increased current.
Induction rtaoiliration.
( ) The problem of the i nsta+)ility bf the plasma.
` e article contains some practical details such as what temperar res and
whet alloys are going to he used and what the dimensions of the apparatus will be.
I. E. Tamrn: Theory of the .-agnetic Ter::lonuclear Reactor. Part III. (Work
carried out in 1951);pp. 31-41.
The sub-heading of this article is: "The Drift and Beat Conductivity of
the Plasma in a Toroid in the Presence of a Stabilized Current." This work was
carried out with the help of N. I+. Bogolyubov.
On the question to which this ai;ticle is devoted there existed wrongi
ideas (which I shared, though I expressed them verbally and not in a written
form). It was assumed that the drift lines of particles,which differ by either
rr i'
their charge or xelattanship between parallel and perpendicular components of
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the veloci.tiec: with respect to the magnetic field, cross one another and this
leads to a sharp increase of heat exchange in a non-uniformly heated plasm
;with respect to the case of a straight cylinder). . "
this article, formulae are given which permit one to calculate the heat
conductivity as a function of the field of the stabilized current flowing in
the Illasma and of the field of the windings on the toroid.
,k._ a . ':ndrianov, 0. A. Bazelev a S. Yu. Luk' anov, 8S. M. Usovets
the Heating of
Yu. F. Petrov, I. M. Podgorni, N. A. Yavlin3ki: Investigation of/Heat
Pydrogen Plasm in Small Toroidal Systems. (Work carried out in 1951); pp. 42-65.
"in the present work the physical basic of the optical and electrical
method of measuring some of the parameters of the plasma are described. The
experimental set-up is given and also the technique of carrying out the measure-
ments. Me more important experimental data are given and the results obtained
discussed.
There are lb diagrams in this article.
G. I. Budker: Questions Associated with the W"i: Drift of Particles in a
Toroidal bggnetic 'Thermonuclear Reaction. (Work carried out in 1951); PP. 66-76.
"An investigation is made of the 4re drift of particles in a non-homogeneous
magnetic and electric field. An evaluation is made of the heat codictivity in a
taros on stabilization of the drift by a magnetic field of a longitudinal
current and by some other methods. The considerations presented permit one to
conclude concerning the insufficiency of co"nsation of the drift by weak
longitudinal current. An evaluation shows that it is necessary for o"i-liaat"s
realization of a thermonuclear reaction that the field of the stabilizing current
be of the same order of magnitude as that of the basic field. In addition tD
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this, it is necessary to create alditional fields associated With the walls of
the chamber which * ld hold the Plasm as mole within the toms.
Z. Davidov? The Influence of the `Vibration of the Plasma on Ito Electrical
end Thermal Conductivity. (Work carried out in 1951); pp. 'T'7-68.
r+e 1)ave evaluated the influence of the vibration to the plasma on the
assuming
motion of electrons au~l ions in it and on its heat conductivity It is well
Z
th. t the: vibration intensity corresrrarrls to brat equilibriust.
known that a.b ? trsr?y order currents IT, the plasma lead to all artificial
their intensities may be con-
vibrations. In addition)
excitation of the
siderabiy" greater than that given by the Ralei -Jcans f ormula ? "
I . L,vidov: Ignition of an Electrodeles? Discharge- (Work carried out in
1951); pp?89-.94? ignition in a dis-
fter
li a general diactsss'!on of the difference between icharge with electrodes and One without electrodes, the author considers the
cases of ignition wi.thout a circular magnetic field and than one in the
presence of a constant 'lor,git' d1na1 circular magnetic field.
of
p, :4. pndrianov and S. I.I. 060- ets: nv.,cw7 and Uperiments on the Ignition
n Electrodeless Discharge in a Magnetic Field. (Work carried out in 1951)1
a
pp. 95-109.
The topics in this article are:
(1) Theory of the breakdown in the absence of the magnetic field.
(2) dory of the brealcda+'n in a torus or in the presence of a longitud1fle -
magnetic field.
(3) Time dndence.
Experiments for studying the breakdown in lydrogen. The work w" done
(1) Ex
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in a glsss tube with a diameter of b cn both In farm of a toror of a diameter
of 50 cm. The electrical field inside the taros is produced by a discharge
of 2.5 mkv across a copper coil. placed in the middle of the toros. Inside the
windings for increasing the connection between the copper Windings and the gas
vtvA n there was an iron insert with a 150 cm cross section. fables are given
of the retnilte as a function of pressure and potential.
(`) Conclusions show that the experiments agree within 3G',`o of the theory.
4. Leontovich: Forces Acting on a Linear Current Which Is within Conducting
Cylindrical Tubes. (Work carried out in 1951); pp. 110-114.
"In connection with the question of Stabilizing the currents with the
help of ^ conducting tube surrounding it, we have derived several elementary
formulae for forces acting cu the current."
S. I. Dry 4inski: Compression of a Pla. i. under the Action of its OkM Magnetic
Field. (Work - 1951); x.115-121.
"A passing of a large current t rh a plasme-,"-s-a the magnetic field
caused by this current has a strong influence on the motion of the charged
particles in the plasm and on the configuration of the whole plasm. The
simultaneous action of the elctrie field causing the current and the magnetic
field caused by this current leads to a'drift' of the charged particles of both
signs inside the heat conducting channel. This drift ' equilibrates' in the
stationary state by the diffusion of the particles to the outside across the
magnetic field. The result is that the plasma contracts in a more or less
narrow pinch in which almost the whole current flows. The so-called pinch
effect. This pheuCm na was previously investigated theoretically by
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Schlut'sr, Naturforsch., a, 72 (1950), Asn>ming the constancy in radius
of the temperature of the plauia.
ifl the Present erticle preliminary results are giv-n of the study -Of the
stationary probiei of the compression of a plasma in an infinitely long pipe.
`i -..e pla=t to considered completely ionized. The t1-ap tesrperature of electrons
airi ions .ia asnu d to be the same. The external magnetic field is rbsent.
i, moms detailed investigation else for the non-stationary 2rocesagee hai' been
car ed out by the author subsequently and published in Jou*^,al_ of Experimental
and Abearetic al. Physics, 645, 195 .
' 4e with to thank B. I . t*vidov for direction of this vor::. "
G , , ?T~h~e betatron method of heating plasma tkxara to high ten ratty-es.
(~aork - 1951); t J'' .122-1