Electrostatic Orbitron Fusion Reactor: Overview of Scientific Program

The Orbitron is a small compact plasma device that confines high-energy ions electrostatically in orbits around a cathode, as is the case in an Orbitrap, while confining electrons in an E×B weak magnetic field, like a Magnetron. The confined electrons mitigate electrostatic ion space-charge density constraints, enabling a high density of ions orbiting with trajectories and energies sufficient for ion-ion fusion. Orbitrons employ "crossed-fields", similar to relativistic microwave devices, and co-rotating ions and electrons to achieve high plasma energy, density and long energy confinement times. They combine aspects of particle accelerators, electrostatic ion traps, relativistic magnetrons, rotating centrifugal mirror plasmas and have the potential to be small compact bright neutron sources (>1E13 n/s) and possibly even net-energy fusion devices that could be operated in a small lab. We are currently investigating the science of Orbitron plasma devices and how they scale in terms of neutron flux and power balance with different fusion fuels. This talk will give a high-level overview of the various theoretical, simulation and experimental work that is ongoing along with a discussion of the current status and next steps.