Critical Issues and Metrics
Must demonstrate ability to form and sustain higher flux FRCs.
- Produce FRCs with 30 mWb (using modest extensions of TCS or SPIRIT)
- Sustain flux for several energy lifetimes (many msec)
- Develop fueling methodology
Must demonstrate stability at higher s.
- Produce FRCs with s > 4 and sustain for msec timescales
- Develop techniques to control MHD instabilities
- kinetic particle enhancement by RF ion heating
- ion rings or NB addition
- RMF ‘pondermotive’ forces
Must achieve good confinement at low densities
- Produce msec confinement times at 1020 cm-3 densities
- Efficient current sustainment will probably not be possible without this