wiffleball mirror
wiffleball mirror
Would I be right in thinking the same wiffleball effect the polywell relies on to not leak electrons like a sieve would also apply to a basic magnetic mirror configuration? (under similar electron pressure to magnetic field strength ratios.) That being the case, having only 2 field cusps, vs. 26 by my count for the cubical configuration, should help containment.
What do you have in mind? A simple magnetic bottle? It would be interesting to learn about them, for sure.
As I understand it, without the mirror effect, the magrid would still be sheilded, but it would not confine the electrons to the center of the machine and create the wiffleball. I think that the mirror effect is more important to creating the well than the charge on the grid is. The grid is obviously at a more positive potential than the well is, correct? That shouldn't be possible only based on magnetic shielding of the coils, because that alone wouldn't force the electrons to the center, it would only hold them away from the coils. The electron cloud would be distributed around pretty evenly.
Now, the charge on the coils could create a relatively large collection electrons in the center like an inverse fusor, but the problem is that this concentration of electrons would be created by the virtual potential well of the grid, which would be positive. That would do us no good, because not only do we want electrons, we want them to create a negative potential well. Thus they must be confined by the magnetic field, not the charge of the grid. In fact, the charge on the grid relative to ground is irrelevant. The electron well only has to be 50-60kV higher than the grid, whatever it is. So the potential well is entirely produced by the mirror effect! Ah-hah!
This post has mostly been my attempt to figure out how the machine works, for my benefit. Oh well.
EDIT: on further thought, if you are using a magnetic bottle, you only have cusps at the center of coils, and no cusp at edges or corner, outside the coils. Those places are where the electrons are lost to the coil surface if the spacing is decreased to increas confinement. A mirror bottle shouldn't have that issue. So electron losses to the coil ought to be very small, limited only by cross-field transport. The confinement to the core by the mirror and the subsequent well depth would be the issue in this case.
EDIT #2: On further reading, it appears that the only important factor in the trapping of any particle in such a field is the ratio of the velocity parallel to the field versus the velocity perpendicular to the field. This makes me think that, A) ions will be confined B) electrons scattered at odd angles will escape (although recirculation will still apply). I'm a bit worried about the effect on ions from the B-field for this thing.
As I understand it, without the mirror effect, the magrid would still be sheilded, but it would not confine the electrons to the center of the machine and create the wiffleball. I think that the mirror effect is more important to creating the well than the charge on the grid is. The grid is obviously at a more positive potential than the well is, correct? That shouldn't be possible only based on magnetic shielding of the coils, because that alone wouldn't force the electrons to the center, it would only hold them away from the coils. The electron cloud would be distributed around pretty evenly.
Now, the charge on the coils could create a relatively large collection electrons in the center like an inverse fusor, but the problem is that this concentration of electrons would be created by the virtual potential well of the grid, which would be positive. That would do us no good, because not only do we want electrons, we want them to create a negative potential well. Thus they must be confined by the magnetic field, not the charge of the grid. In fact, the charge on the grid relative to ground is irrelevant. The electron well only has to be 50-60kV higher than the grid, whatever it is. So the potential well is entirely produced by the mirror effect! Ah-hah!
This post has mostly been my attempt to figure out how the machine works, for my benefit. Oh well.
EDIT: on further thought, if you are using a magnetic bottle, you only have cusps at the center of coils, and no cusp at edges or corner, outside the coils. Those places are where the electrons are lost to the coil surface if the spacing is decreased to increas confinement. A mirror bottle shouldn't have that issue. So electron losses to the coil ought to be very small, limited only by cross-field transport. The confinement to the core by the mirror and the subsequent well depth would be the issue in this case.
EDIT #2: On further reading, it appears that the only important factor in the trapping of any particle in such a field is the ratio of the velocity parallel to the field versus the velocity perpendicular to the field. This makes me think that, A) ions will be confined B) electrons scattered at odd angles will escape (although recirculation will still apply). I'm a bit worried about the effect on ions from the B-field for this thing.