Magnetic Plasma Confinement (Tokamak)

Nuclear Engineering

How It Works

Magnetic confinement fusion insulates multi-million-kelvin ionized plasma within a toroidal vacuum vessel using a closed helical magnetic field topology. The combination of external toroidal field coils and an internally driven plasma current creates nested magnetic flux surfaces that suppress cross-field particle and heat diffusion.

Governing Equation
B = B_{toroidal} + B_{poloidal} , β = (2μ_0 · ⟨ p ⟩) / B^2