What is it about?

Even plasma is really important for heating with a neutral beam in fusion. We used computer models to try out different ways to make the plasma near the plasma grid more even. By tweaking the magnetic field, changing how the plasma flows, or adding thin barriers, we managed to smooth things out. Each method had its own effect on how even and dense the plasma was. In the end, we found a few good ways to improve how the neutral beam heating machine works.

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Why is it important?

This study addresses a key challenge in improving neutral beam heating machines for fusion energy research by focusing on reducing plasma inhomogeneity in negative ion sources. Plasma imbalances can degrade beam quality and create extra heat, limiting the system’s efficiency. The research investigates three methods to tackle this issue: aligning magnetic fields, altering drift flows with chamber geometry changes, and using barrier plates to block plasma drift. Through simulations, we evaluated how each method affects plasma symmetry, density, and flatness—critical factors for optimizing ion source performance. By comparing their results with experimental data from fusion facilities like ELISE and BATMAN, the study provides valuable insights for designing more efficient and reliable negative ion sources, bringing us closer to the goal of achieving practical fusion energy.

Perspectives

This work takes a big step toward solving some tough challenges in making negative ion sources for neutral beam injectors more efficient in fusion energy research. By testing out different ways to reduce plasma inhomogeneity through advanced simulations, the study gives us valuable ideas for improving the reliability and performance of ion sources, which are crucial for fusion reactors. The fact that the results match up with data from major fusion facilities like ELISE and BATMAN makes the findings even more solid and relevant. This means the methods explored could actually be used in future fusion reactors to boost NBI performance and help make fusion energy a more realistic option. Going forward, there’s potential to scale these methods up for bigger, more complex fusion systems, refine the simulations, and maybe even find new ways to combine these strategies. In the bigger picture, this research is helping to build the knowledge needed to bring fusion energy closer to reality, and could play an important role in developing a clean, sustainable energy source for the future.

Dmitrii Stepanov
Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy Of Scieneces

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Methods for suppressing plasma inhomogeneity in the multi-cusp single driver negative ion source for neutral beam injector, AIP Advances, May 2025, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0264398.
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