Re: Re: starship-design: Bussard design

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/9/97 4:26:25 AM, TLG.van.der.Linden@tip.nl wrote:

>Hi Kelly,
>
>>Synopsis lists it as "A new concept for inertial-electrostatic spherical
>>colloding beam fusion (polywell) is based on the use of
>>magnetohydrodynamically stable quasi-spherical polyhedral magnetic fields
to
>>contain energetic electrons that are injected to form a negatice potential
>>well that is capable of ion confinement.
>
>....
>
>>Sounds like they electrons are injected into the center to act as the
>>negative, to appose the positive charge on the spherical reactor shell.
 That
>>negative pulls the positive fuel ions in from the outside of the reactor.
>
>Indeed, it sounds like they create some magnetic bottle to confine the
>electrons. I guess that in theory something like this can work. Probably
>you'd need quite a bunch of electrons per ion to accelerate it upto fusion
>speeds.
>If the amount of electrons per ion has to be high, you probably could use
>the magnetic fields for other fusion designs as well.
>
>>Anyway its about 18 pages of equations and diagrams that I have trouble
>>following, and refuse to type in.  Highlights are comments on translational
>>and recirculating flows, and a slight prolate displacement problem that can
>>induce a local current.  However the "..counterstreaming interaction of
>>particals moving through the central region, which couple their momentum to
>>each other through spherical electrostatic waves." --- "vastly exceeds any
>>possible local perterbation".   
>>
>>This is a good thing right?  ;)
>
>Electro"static" waves? I always thought that waves implied "dynamics".
>
>Timothy


The system does sound dynamic.

Kelly