IGNITION PROSPECTS FOR IGNITER

An extensive analysis has been carried out to study the ignition conditions for Ignitor, using a 1 1/2-dimensional equilibrium transport code. Different sets of magnetic field and plasma current values have been considered. The transport models adopted for electrons and ions, based on the "profile consistency" concept, present the power-dependent degradation observed in present-day auxiliary heated experiments. The influence on ignition of the machine parameters and physics assumptions has been investigated. The general conclusion is that, for a machine which can sustain a plasma current from 10 to 12 MA and a toroidal field from 11 to 13 tesla, ignition (or at least the reaching of Q = 10) should be guaranteed for realistic values of the plasma parameters.