[Fred Hayek]

Lessening the electromagnetic containment will more likely kill the reaction. Once the plasma hits the wall, it will immediately cool below the threshold required to overcome the Coulomb barrier. Of course the wall of the containment torus will experience some significant erosion.

[DiogenesLamp]

Lessening the electromagnetic containment will more likely kill the reaction. Once the plasma hits the wall, it will immediately cool below the threshold required to overcome the Coulomb barrier. Of course the wall of the containment torus will experience some significant erosion.

And then the superconducting coils will blow, creating the effect of a mini-nuke.

Perhaps they will design around this probability? :)

[Terry L Smith]

dear fred,

re:
“Lessening the electromagnetic containment will more likely kill the reaction. Once the plasma hits the wall, it will immediately cool below the threshold required to overcome the Coulomb barrier. Of course the wall of the containment torus will experience some significant erosion.”

I’m not so sure. You lessen the electromagnetic field, and it can be a ‘loosening of the noose’, so to speak.