University of California Radiation Laboratory Report UCRL-4475

Abstract

Abstract: "The possibility of transient temperature variations during the self-heating of a plasma by thermonuclear reactions was investigated. Calculations were performed on an IBM Card Program Calculator. Estimates of the time scale for self-heating were obtained. It was concluded that it would be unsafe to assume that the nuclear temperature is always equal to or greater than the electron temperature in a discussion of plasma instabilities for a plasma with 10 percent or greater tritium concentration.