Z-Pinch Techniques

Z-Pinch Techniques
Research Cost: 50000
Summary
Our spacecraft become capable of dramatically-increased thrust by using electricity alone to trigger a sustained fusion reaction.
Description
Zeta-pinch, or z-pinch for short, involves passing an electrical current through plasma to generate an internal magnetic field, which pulls its particles towards each other - in effect, compressing the plasma. This is far from a new discovery, but the technique is of specific interest now because, if the plasma is made from fusion fuel, a sufficient degree of compression will trigger a self-sustaining thermonuclear fusion reaction. A spacecraft's magnetic nozzle can then safely convert this immense energy into far greater thrust than any chemical propulsion could possibly achieve. At least in theory: this technique has been impossible to achieve previously due to the wildly unstable nature of plasma, which moves so rapidly and so unpredictably that only a limited amount of it will undergo fusion, meaning the reaction cannot be sustained for long. So it is a recent breakthrough in plasma stabilization that makes Z-Pinch-based thrusters feasible at last. By applying principles of fluid dynamics - essentially, forcing the plasma flow in a given direction - our scientists have been able to stabilize a z-pinch for several thousand times longer. In addition, the z-pinch method removes the need for large and heavy coils to generate magnetic fields, thus reducing the craft's overall mass, which in turn also means traveling further and faster through space.
Full List of Prerequisites. Name Type Cost Deep Space Propulsion Concepts 1000 Advanced Carbon Manipulation 1000 Nuclear Fusion Methodologies 50000 Magnetic Plasma Confinement 35000 Superconducting Magnets 10000 Advanced Atomic Manipulation 10000 High-Temperature Superconductors 40000 Advanced Heat Management Concepts 2500 Magnetic Force Manipulation 2500 Advanced Electromagnetism 1000 Carbon Nanotubes 3500 Supercapacitors 10000 Mission To Space 250 Advanced Superconductors 3500 Photonic Computing 1500 Nuclear Fission In Space 2500
Total Research Cost (including itself)
	88500		1500
	0		78000
	0		0
	56250	Total	224250
Direct Prerequisite For
Techs		Projects
		(100%)Z-Pinch Fusion Reactor I • (100%)Z-Pinch Microfission Drive
Quote
"When I was a kid, the threat of nuclear Armageddon was on every front page, every day. So forgive me if I get just a tiny bit anxious when you tell me that our best hope of sailing the stars is staging nuclear explosions inside our spacecraft." Commander Fiona Ayouade, The Resistance In an email, receiving address encrypted
Notes
Data Sources
TITechTemplate_CSV • TIProjectTemplate_CSV • TIOrgTemplate_CSV • TITechTemplate_EN • TIProjectTemplate_EN • TIOrgTemplate_EN
Related Pages
Tech List • Project List • Technology