Introduction

The analysis presented in the previous chapters has established the plasma properties necessary for a magnetic fusion reactor. In particular, a combination of engineering and nuclear physics constraints has shown that a fusion plasma must achieve a temperature T ∼ 15 keV, a pressure p ∼ 7 atm, a plasma beta β ∼ 8%, and an energy confinement time τE ∼ 1 s. Furthermore, the plasma must be confined in the shape of a torus with minor radius a ∼ 2 m and major radius R0 ∼ 5 m. The challenge to the fusion plasma physics community is to discover ways to simultaneously achieve these parameters.

Because the behavior of a fusion plasma can be quite complicated and subtle, as well as being far from our everyday intuitive experiences, it is perhaps not surprising that this has led to the development of a new subfield of physics known as “plasma physics.” Only after knowledge of this new state of matter has been mastered will it be possible to produce robust fusion plasmas suitable for a fusion reactor.

The need to master plasma physics is the motivation for the second part of the book. Presented in these chapters is a description of the plasma physics necessary to produce a fusion plasma. The goal is to provide a reasonably rigorous introduction to the field of plasma physics as viewed from the perspective of a nuclear engineer.