Abrégé

An apparatus and method for controlling charged particles. The charged particles comprise electrons and positive ions. A magnetic field having only point cusps is used to confine energetic injected electrons and so to generate a negative potential well. Positive ions injected into or created within the negative potential well are trapped therein. The magnetic field is generated by current-carrying elements arranged at positions spaced from but closely adjacent and parallel to edges of a polyhedron which has an even number of faces surrounding each vertex or corner. The current-carrying elements are spaced apart at their corners (the vertices of the polyhedron) so as not to touch, and the containing structures for the current-carrying coils of the magnetic-field-providing system are conformal to the fields so produced. Preferably, the coils are placed on the outboard side of the confining coils so as to increases electron confinement.

Classes IPC  ?

• G21B 1/05 - Réacteurs de fusion thermonucléaire avec confinement magnétique ou électrique du plasma
• H05H 1/11 - Dispositions pour confiner le plasma au moyen de champs électriques ou magnétiquesDispositions pour chauffer le plasma utilisant uniquement des champs magnétiques appliqués utilisant une configuration en aiguille
• H05H 1/16 - Dispositions pour confiner le plasma au moyen de champs électriques ou magnétiquesDispositions pour chauffer le plasma utilisant des champs électriques et magnétiques