stellaratorach

The stellaratorach is a hypothetical device described in some plasma physics discussions as a hybrid magnetic confinement concept that draws on the principles of a stellarator with an arch-like coil configuration. The name reflects its intended combination of toroidal confinement and a distinctive curved coil arrangement, intended to produce a three-dimensional magnetic field without relying on a large plasma current.

Design and principles: The stellaratorach envisions a toroidal chamber surrounded by non-axisymmetric superconducting coils arranged in an arch-like lattice around the torus. The resulting magnetic field is highly three-dimensional, designed to stabilize the plasma and reduce neoclassical transport. The coil geometry aims to improve magnetic surface quality and decrease ripple, potentially enhancing confinement and reducing current-driven instabilities. Fine-tuning coils provide additional control over magnetic surfaces and field strength.

Heating and fueling: Plasma heating would typically use established methods such as electron cyclotron resonance heating, ion cyclotron resonance heating, or neutral beam injection. Fueling methods might include gas puffing or pellet injection. Diagnostics would measure density, temperature, and magnetic topology with tools like interferometry, Thomson scattering, and magnetic probes to assess confinement performance.

Applications and status: In theoretical and speculative discussions, the stellaratorach is viewed as a potential path toward compact, steady-state fusion devices and as a platform for fundamental studies of three-dimensional plasma confinement. In science fiction contexts, it is sometimes imagined as an on-board fusion core for spacecraft propulsion. In mainstream research, the concept remains hypothetical, serving as a point of comparison to traditional stellarators and other advanced confinement schemes.

See also: Stellarator, Magnetic confinement fusion, Plasma physics.