Impact of high temperature superconductors on the possibility of radio-frequency confinement

It is suggested that recent high-temperature superconductors may impact the feasibility of RF confinement in two important ways: higher-temperature superconductors should have higher critical B fields and consequently may allow higher critical B fields to be sustained in the cavity, thus allowing the necessary confining pressure to be achieved; and the higher-temperature superconductors lower the refrigeration power necessary to maintain the superconducting cavity, thus allowing a favorable energy balance. Issues discussed include the frequency condition and the pressure balance, the maintenance of a superconductor near a thermonuclear plasma, and the field configuration. It is concluded that the old bases for rejecting the possibility of RF confinement of thermonuclear plasma are no longer valid