A Corrugated Mirror-Cyclotron Frequency Direct Conversion System (COMI-CYFER)

In this scheme the plasma escaping from a mirror machine is split into an array of long narrow beams by means of a grid of iron slabs. For proper shaping of the slabs, the increased mirror ratio at the iron causes acceptably low beam interception. After spherical expansion of the magnetic field containing the escaping plasma, the electrons are repelled by non-intercepting grids. A spatially alternating electric and/or magnetic field which follows is converted to an alternating or rotating force by the motion of the ions. At sufficiently low velocity, this force resonates with the cyclotron frequency and sweeps the ions to collector plates. With average ion energies of 293 keV an efficiency of 85% can be obtained in a system whose size is much smaller than other proposed direct conversion systems. For a 74% efficienicy, only 186 keV ions are required and the system becomes extraordinarily compact.