Fusion reactor designs and techniques are provided in which an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) system is coupled to a cylindrical reactor to generate ions within the reactor to form a weakly ionized plasma. An ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) system, also coupled to the cylindrical reactor, is further utilized to accelerate the ions radially in the cylindrical reactor with increasing circular trajectory. The ions are contained within a uniform magnetic field provided by a superconducting magnet coupled to the cylindrical reactor. As the ions are accelerated they also drive neutral particles within the reactor to the same energy level through the mechanism of ion-neutral coupling. Collisions of plasma particles with a target also create macroparticles to form a “dusty” plasma, in which the macroparticles contain multiple charges and masses which can sustain fusion reactions.

A device and a method of heating nano- to micro-scale light absorbent particles within a flashtube designed to sequentially emit intense light, followed by an intense pressure wave. The flashtube device includes a housing and a central filament surrounded by the housing. An inner surface of the housing can be coated with light-scattering particles and/or light-absorbing particles. The filament is generally held in a superconducting state.

A fusion drive magnetically confining a plasma in a stable plectonemic minimum-energy Taylor states formed from the merging of a plurality of plectonemic Taylor states. Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into ion heating to attain high temperatures before compression. The plasma configuration is then compressed to net gain in a peristaltic magnetic nozzle arrangement. The fusion drive supports generation of electrical power with inductive direct electric or thermal conversion methods.

A composition of matter including a fuel comprising one or more of isotopes of hydrogen or isotopes of lithium. The general binding reactions comprise electron-catalyzed chemical, molecular, or transmutation binding reactions. The composition also includes one or more reactants having an energy-releasing binding energy with the fuel. The fuel is associated with the general binding reactions with the one or more reactants. The composition additionally includes a reservoir capable of releasing one or more of molecular fuel or mono-atomic fuel when the reservoir is heated. The reservoir comprises one or more of the fuel or precursors to the fuel, such as a chemical form of fuel in the reservoir material. The composition further includes a fuel-cracking material capable of converting a fraction of the molecular fuel into mono-atomic fuel. The composition additionally includes a reaction crystallite on or in which general binding reactions are capable of being stimulated to occur. The composition further includes a spacer. Upon the one or more reaction capsule emissions of one or more of the proximate reaction capsules, the fuel is released from the reservoir, the fuel-cracking material is brought to operating temperature, a temperature of the reaction crystallite is raised sufficient to cause crystal momentum injection, electrons are tailored by the energy-releasing binding energy and the crystal momentum injections into the reactant crystallite, and an emission of the reaction capsule energizes one or more of the proximate reaction capsules to cause a self-sustaining or chain reaction. Other embodiments are described.

A composition of matter including a fuel comprising one or more of isotopes of hydrogen or isotopes of lithium. The general binding reactions comprise electron-catalyzed chemical, molecular, or transmutation binding reactions. The composition also includes one or more reactants having an energy-releasing binding energy with the fuel. The fuel is associated with the general binding reactions with the one or more reactants. The composition additionally includes a reservoir capable of releasing one or more of molecular fuel or mono-atomic fuel when the reservoir is heated. The reservoir comprises one or more of the fuel or precursors to the fuel, such as a chemical form of fuel in the reservoir material. The composition further includes a fuel-cracking material capable of converting a fraction of the molecular fuel into mono-atomic fuel. The composition additionally includes a reaction crystallite on or in which general binding reactions are capable of being stimulated to occur. The composition further includes a spacer. Upon the one or more reaction capsule emissions of one or more of the proximate reaction capsules, the fuel is released from the reservoir, the fuel-cracking material is brought to operating temperature, a temperature of the reaction crystallite is raised sufficient to cause crystal momentum injection, electrons are tailored by the energy-releasing binding energy and the crystal momentum injections into the reactant crystallite, and an emission of the reaction capsule energizes one or more of the proximate reaction capsules to cause a self-sustaining or chain reaction. Other embodiments are described.

A superconducting magnet comprising a field coil comprising high temperature superconducting material and having a joint; a bypass resistance comprising a non-superconducting conductive material, wherein the bypass resistance is electrically connected to the field coil on both sides of the joint; wherein the joint is openable to break the field coil such that current flowing in the superconductor flows though the bypass resistance in order to dump energy from the field coil, and wherein the superconducting magnet is configured to open the joint in response to detection of a quench in the magnet.

A superconducting magnet comprising a field coil comprising high temperature superconducting material and having a joint; a bypass resistance comprising a non-superconducting conductive material, wherein the bypass resistance is electrically connected to the field coil on both sides of the joint; wherein the joint is openable to break the field coil such that current flowing in the superconductor flows though the bypass resistance in order to dump energy from the field coil, and wherein the superconducting magnet is configured to open the joint in response to detection of a quench in the magnet.

A system for generating magnetized plasma and sustaining plasma's magnetic field comprises a plasma generator for generating magnetized plasma and a flux conserver in which the generated magnetized plasma is injected and confined. A central conductor comprises an upper central conductor and a lower central conductor that are electrically connected forming a single integrated conductor. The upper central conductor and an outer electrode form an annular plasma propagating channel. The lower central conductor extends out of the plasma generator and into the flux conserver such that an end of the inner electrode is electrically connected to a wall of the flux conserver. A power system provides a formation current pulse and a sustainment current pulse to the central conductor to form the magnetized plasma, inject such plasma into the flux conserver and sustain plasma's magnetic field.

A system for generating magnetized plasma and sustaining plasma's magnetic field comprises a plasma generator for generating magnetized plasma and a flux conserver in which the generated magnetized plasma is injected and confined. A central conductor comprises an upper central conductor and a lower central conductor that are electrically connected forming a single integrated conductor. The upper central conductor and an outer electrode form an annular plasma propagating channel. The lower central conductor extends out of the plasma generator and into the flux conserver such that an end of the inner electrode is electrically connected to a wall of the flux conserver. A power system provides a formation current pulse and a sustainment current pulse to the central conductor to form the magnetized plasma, inject such plasma into the flux conserver and sustain plasma's magnetic field.

Disclosed are systems and methods for a self-monitoring conducting system that can respond to temperature, strain, and/or radiation changes via the use of optical fibers. The self-monitoring conducting system comprises a conducting component integrated with one or more optical fibers. The temperature, strain, and/or radiation changes can be sensed or detected via optical interrogation of the one or more optical fibers.