Conventional Fusion FAQ Glossary Part 26/26 (Z)

From: Robert F. Heeter <rfheeter@princeton.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion
Subject: Conventional Fusion FAQ Glossary Part 26/26 (Z)
Date: 11 Nov 1999 12:26:47 GMT
Message-ID: <fusion-faq/glossary/z_942323057@rtfm.mit.edu>
Reply-To: rfheeter@pppl.gov
Summary: Fusion energy represents a promising alternative to 
         fossil fuels and nuclear fission for world energy 
         production. This Glossary is a compendium of Frequently Used
         Terms in Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Research.  Refer
         to the FAQ on Conventional Fusion for more detailed info
         about topics in fusion research.  This Glossary does NOT 
         discuss unconventional forms of fusion (like Cold Fusion).
X-Last-Updated: 1995/02/26

Archive-name: fusion-faq/glossary/z
Last-modified: 25-Feb-1995
Posting-frequency: More-or-less-quarterly
Disclaimer:  While this section is still evolving, it should 
     be useful to many people, and I encourage you to distribute 
     it to anyone who might be interested (and willing to help!!!).

===============================================================
Glossary Part 26:  Terms beginning with "Z"

FREQUENTLY USED TERMS IN CONVENTIONAL FUSION RESEARCH 
AND PLASMA PHYSICS

Edited by Robert F. Heeter, rfheeter@pppl.gov

Guide to Categories:
 
* = plasma/fusion/energy vocabulary
& = basic physics vocabulary 
> = device type or machine name
# = name of a constant or variable
! = scientists 
@ = acronym
% = labs & political organizations
$ = unit of measurement

The list of Acknowledgements is in Part 0 (intro).
==================================================================

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

# Z:  see atomic number
 
@ ZETA:  Zero Energy Thermonuclear Assembly; see entry

> Zero Energy Thermonuclear Assembly:  A British fusion device in 
which scientists observed fusion neutrons in 1958.  They were
erroneously considered to be thermonuclear (coming from particles 
with a Maxwellian velocity distribution) and were a cause for the
initial optimism that fusion energy would be easy.  They were 
actually due to electromagnetic acceleration during a plasma 
instability, an effect which cannot be scaled up to produce useful 
energy.

> Z-Pinch:  Pinch device in which the externally-driven pinching 
current goes in the z direction (parallel to / through the 
cylindrical plasma).  See discussion in Section 4B.