Systems and methods for plasma compression with recycling of projectiles

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of compressing a plasma, the method comprising:
 generating a toroidal plasma; 
 accelerating the toroidal plasma toward a cavity in a liquid metal; 
 accelerating a projectile toward the cavity in the liquid metal; and 
 compressing the toroidal plasma with the projectile while the toroidal plasma is in the cavity in the liquid metal and while the projectile is at least partially within the cavity in the liquid metal. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a toroidal plasma comprises generating a spheromak. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein accelerating the toroidal plasma further comprises compressing the toroidal plasma. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein accelerating the projectile comprises using high pressure gas to accelerate the projectile. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein accelerating the projectile comprises using electromagnetic forces to accelerate the projectile. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the cavity in the liquid metal. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein forming the cavity comprises flowing a liquid metal to form the cavity. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising recycling a portion of the liquid metal to form at least one new projectile for compressing toroidal plasma while the toroidal plasma is in the cavity in the liquid metal and while the at least one new projectile is at least partially within the cavity in the liquid metal.