Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: Help me think this through
Date:
Poster: Jim Lux

On , Jim Lux wrote:

>
>The total current drawn by the fusor is the "ioniztion current" only! That is, that current involved with the electrical conduction of current carriers between the shell and the inner grid only! Naturally, that would also include the initial establishment current of charging the shell inner grid interelectrode capacitance (setting up the field) and other circuit loses within the ionized gas volume.
>
>The movement of all ions up to speed and decelerating them back to zero, etc., so long as they do not collide with the inner grid or get lost and continue to remain circulating in the interelectrode region, is for free!


What about collisions with neutrals (which will dominate, I should think). Sometimes, it might ionize the neutral, but I think that most of the time it just goes to raising the overall temperature of the gas in the fusor. Depending on the ionization fraction, this might dominate over the grid collision rate.