Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.

A system for performing enhanced dense plasma acceleration includes two dense plasma fusion accelerators, each having two electrodes. One of the electrodes is positioned within a volume of the other. A conductive ring couples electrodes of the two plasma fusion accelerators. A plasma sheath from one accelerator and a plasma sheath from the other accelerator interact to form a portion of a cusp pinch. The plasma sheaths form portions of the cusp pinch via apertures of electrodes.

A system for performing enhanced dense plasma acceleration includes two dense plasma fusion accelerators, each having two electrodes. One of the electrodes is positioned within a volume of the other. A conductive ring couples electrodes of the two plasma fusion accelerators. A plasma sheath from one accelerator and a plasma sheath from the other accelerator interact to form a portion of a cusp pinch. The plasma sheaths form portions of the cusp pinch via apertures of electrodes.

A plasma engine includes a plasma source that generates ions from molecular gas species received at a gas input where at least some of the ions generated are atomic species ions. An ion extractor is configured to extract ions from the plasma source with an electric field. A housing comprising a recombination region receives ions extracted from the ion extractor. At least some of the atomic species ions recombine into molecular species in the housing, thereby releasing energy for thrust.

A reflective optical system (100) comprising at least one reflective aspheric surface (1) of focal length f.sub.0 and optical axis (Z), the surface being configured so that an incident laser beam (2) propagating along an axis (Z′) is focused along the optical axis (Z) with a FWHM ((Full Width at Half Maximum) of the intensity of the reflected beam along the optical axis (Z) being larger, preferably by a factor of at least 10, than the FWHM of the intensity of a focused beam reflected by a parabola having same focal length f.sub.0 and same optical axis (Z), receiving same beam.

A reflective optical system (100) comprising at least one reflective aspheric surface (1) of focal length f.sub.0 and optical axis (Z), the surface being configured so that an incident laser beam (2) propagating along an axis (Z′) is focused along the optical axis (Z) with a FWHM ((Full Width at Half Maximum) of the intensity of the reflected beam along the optical axis (Z) being larger, preferably by a factor of at least 10, than the FWHM of the intensity of a focused beam reflected by a parabola having same focal length f.sub.0 and same optical axis (Z), receiving same beam.

Systems and methods are provided that facilitate stability of an FRC plasma in both radial and axial directions and axial position control of an FRC plasma along the symmetry axis of an FRC plasma chamber. The systems and methods exploit an axially unstable equilibria of the FRC plasma to enforce radial stability, while stabilizing or controlling the axial instability. The systems and methods provide feedback control of the FRC plasma axial position independent of the stability properties of the plasma equilibrium by acting on the voltages applied to a set of external coils concentric with the plasma and using a non-linear control technique.

Systems and methods are provided that facilitate stability of an FRC plasma in both radial and axial directions and axial position control of an FRC plasma along the symmetry axis of an FRC plasma chamber. The systems and methods exploit an axially unstable equilibria of the FRC plasma to enforce radial stability, while stabilizing or controlling the axial instability. The systems and methods provide feedback control of the FRC plasma axial position independent of the stability properties of the plasma equilibrium by acting on the voltages applied to a set of external coils concentric with the plasma and using a non-linear control technique.

The present disclosure relates to an arc ion coating device and a coating method. The arc ion coating device includes: a vacuum chamber with a vacuum environment inside; an arc generation component disposed in the vacuum chamber and comprising a cathode target, an anode and an arc starter, the cathode target being columnar and configured to release plasmas, and the arc starter being disposed between the cathode target and the anode and configured to generate charged particles to guide a generation of an arc between a side of the cathode target and the anode to coat a workpiece; a support frame disposed in the vacuum chamber, the support frame being disposed at a side of the anode away from the cathode target and configured for a placement of the workpiece; and a power supply component comprising an arc power supply and a first accumulator, the arc power supply having a first output end and a second output end, the first output end being configured to output a pulsed voltage and connected to the arc starter, the second output end being configured to output an adjustable DC voltage and charge the first accumulator, and a negative pole and a positive pole of the first accumulator being connected to the cathode target and the anode, respectively.

The present disclosure relates to an arc ion coating device and a coating method. The arc ion coating device includes: a vacuum chamber with a vacuum environment inside; an arc generation component disposed in the vacuum chamber and comprising a cathode target, an anode and an arc starter, the cathode target being columnar and configured to release plasmas, and the arc starter being disposed between the cathode target and the anode and configured to generate charged particles to guide a generation of an arc between a side of the cathode target and the anode to coat a workpiece; a support frame disposed in the vacuum chamber, the support frame being disposed at a side of the anode away from the cathode target and configured for a placement of the workpiece; and a power supply component comprising an arc power supply and a first accumulator, the arc power supply having a first output end and a second output end, the first output end being configured to output a pulsed voltage and connected to the arc starter, the second output end being configured to output an adjustable DC voltage and charge the first accumulator, and a negative pole and a positive pole of the first accumulator being connected to the cathode target and the anode, respectively.