Characterization of Ion Loading and Energy Confinement Time in an Orbitron

The Orbitron is a novel fusion prototype, in development at Avalanche Energy, which uses static crossed fields to co-confine both fuel ions and electrons. In this work, we use a combination of image current measurements, akin to those in orbitraps, and neutron yield measurements to discern ion trapping characteristics and estimate energy confinement time for the Orbitron. In initial testing we measured significant populations of deuterium ions confined with energies in excess of 100 keV. This technique can be used to transparently evaluate and compare potential improvements to the ion confinement scheme, as well as help improve the accuracy of models through comparison with simulations.