Three methods for building low cost, compact fusion reactors

[Dan Tibbets]

Just some speculations.

If there is exotic physics possible in a fusor, the practical demonstration has not occurred as fusion rates are consistent with well established physics. But, there are some results not well explained by straight forward modeling. The results of Hirsch has required some imposition of uncertain condition s in terms of plasma waves and potential well structure. But, I have not seen any exotic physics invoked to match the experiment. I think Hirsch's results are interesting . The University of Wisconsin tried unsuccessfully to replicate his work, but it seams to me they diverged from his design considerably, so comparison is uncertain.

PS: Without invoking exotic physics there are 3-4 relative cheap fusion schemes being pursued. The Polywell, (including a possible variant by Lockheed Skunk Works), several versions of the FRC, the Dense Plasma Focus, and the Canadian hammer approach.
I am a fan boy of the Polywell, but details are hard to come by. I like the Dense Plasma Focus efforts, in part because they have forced some grudging backtracking by critics. The FRC efforts by Tri Alpha are also tightly held, though it is intriguing that funding has possibly reached hundreds of millions of dollars.

Dan Tibbets