0
$\begingroup$

Plasma and fusion physics experts, help me with this one: Suppose we have a D-T plasma with net positive electrical charge inside a positively charged metal sphere. As the containment sphere's net positive charge increases, my ignorant intuition would expect the plasma to be compressed and its internal pressure to increase. Sputtering would likely occur as electrons from the plasma escape and are drawn towards the containment sphere, releasing atoms from the containment metal into the plasma and cooling it - but ignore that for a sec. Suppose we could both arbitrarily increase the temperature of the internal plasma and the charge of the containment sphere. Would this be a viable means for nuclear fusion containment?

Help me shoot down this idea. What are some practical limitations that would prevent this from working? For starters, at arbitrarily high positive charge, the containment medium itself would disintegrate due to the electrostatic repulsion of atoms in the containment vessel, correct? Is there any existing means of calculating charge distribution in a plasma or solid at very high positive charge? Or is there a means of calculating the theoretical spatial gap between the plasma and containment vessel in such an arrangement?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

First note that by definition, a plasma is electrically neutral. This means you can't move it around with static electric fields.

Second, the electrical field inside a charged hollow sphere is identically zero in any event.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you! Please clarify, if a protium gas at room temperature and pressure is contained in a conducting vessel of very high positive electric charge, is it possible for some of those hydrogen atoms to give up their electrons? If this occurs, and then the gas is heated to high temperature, would the resulting gas maintain a net positive charge even when heated to temperatures approximating conventional plasmas in a tokomak? Could the gas then be influenced by external electric charges? $\endgroup$
    – wdsky
    Commented Jul 3, 2023 at 19:18
  • $\begingroup$ Influenced, but not contained. Read the second part. $\endgroup$
    – Maury Markowitz
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 16:28

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.