Mirror-based neutron source experiment

Mirror-based devices are ideally suited for use as fusion based engineering test facilities, because they have no scaling with size, are steady state, high beta, and have a cylindrical geometry leading to excellent accessibility. The difficulty of axial plugging which may limit the potential of mirrors as fusion reactors is unimportant for this application and, in fact, low confinement leads to high fusion power density. In considering a mirror based device in this context, the question that must be addressed is the ability of these devices to scale up in density and temperature while maintaining mHD and microstability. Axisymmetric devices are particularly interesting for this purpose. Central cell axisymmetry provides an excellent geometry for the testing modules. Furthermore axisymmetric coil design permits much higher fields to be generated by simpler and more efficient coils which results in a reduced beta. Additionally axisymmetry reduces radial transport. Recent successes in the Tara device have supported the feasibility of neutral beam injection into axisymmetric mirror cells. The authors discuss a proof-of-principle experiment based on the Tara facility. They will also present parameters for a mirror-based fusion component test facility and compare it with a Tokamak based facility