Why 'polywell'?

JohnP · Post by **JohnP** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:56 pm

Why do they call it a 'polywell' when there's only one well?

Grant Castillou · Post by **Grant Castillou** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:45 pm

This is from the Polywell entry at Wikipedia:

The name Polywell is a portmanteau of "polyhedron" and "potential well." The magnetic field is produced by a polyhedral arrangement of coils...

Grant

windmill · Post by **windmill** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:58 pm

"Poly" refers to polyhedral, as in the geometric configuration of the B field coils.
The quasi-spherical negative potential well is formed by the combined fields of the individual coils, hence: "polywell".

wisnij · Post by **wisnij** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:51 am

Perhaps if the polywell design is successfully developed into a full power-generating system, we should refer to such devices as "bussards".

MSimon · Post by **MSimon** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:10 pm

I'm calling it the Bussard Reactor.