PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ENERGY TO AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEDIUM

1,187,150. Superconductors; lasers. COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. 7 Aug., 1967 [7 Sept., 1966], No. 36231/67. Headings H1C and H1K. [Also in Division G6] Energy is transferred to the plasma inside the chamber 6 from the magnetic field in the annular chamber 8, produced by the current, J, in the superconducting layers 9, 9a. The transfer is effected by raising the temperature of the layer 9a, thereby changing its state from the superconductive to the normal and interrupting the current J. The resultant potential difference across the ends of the chamber 6 produces an arc in, and a radial contraction of, the plasma column due to the pinch effect. The layer 9, 9a is formed of an alloy of niobium and tin and is brought to the superconductive state by the introduction of liquid helium through the apertures 13. The current, J, is produced in 9, 9a by the rotating field of coils 12 as described in Specification 1,187,149. To interrupt J, the transition of 9a is effected by the heating resistance, 10, and by a magnetic pulse produced in solenoid 11. In a modification, Fig. 2, the chamber 6 contains a laser rod 16 which is pumped by the plasma produced in a gas-filled tubular casing 17 surrounding the rod. An apertured end-plate 4 provides an emission window.