Observation of highly localized trapping of MeV deuterons into self-colliding orbit distribution (“migma”) and measurement of its density and confinement time

Abstract Self-colliding orbit distribution (“magma”) of 0.6 MeV d + 's was formed by dissociation of 1.2 MeV D 2 + molecules. Observed distribution was highly peaked for orbits passing within 0.2 cm from the axis of the 3.3 T magnetic field. A two-step dissociation mechanism is postulated to explain the distribution. The particle storage lifetime was τ = (2.21 ± 0.05)s (limited by vacuum of 6 × 10 −8 torr) and the trapped d + number N = (1.4±0.5) × 10 10 (limited by the injection rate and vacuum). The observed distribution was highly inhomegeneous, resulting in a volume averaged density 〈 n 〉 v = (1.25±0.4)× 10 8 cm −3 and a central density 〈 n 〉 c = (2.2±0.7)× 10 9 cm −3 . The colliding beam luminosity (rate per unit cross section) is L = 10 27 cm −2 s −1 . No instabilities were observed although the densities were an order-of-magnitude above the negative-mass instability threshold of DCX-1.