A two-dimensional kinetic theory analysis is used to determine distribution functions in high-temperature mirror plasmas in which both Coulomb and nuclear elastic scattering are important. The discrete nature of nuclear scattering and the continuous nature of Coulomb scattering are incorporated. The distribution functions are used to obtain the energy deposition and energy and particle loss rates for fusion reaction products such as alpha particles and protons in the central-cell plasma of a tandem mirror. The confinement time for neutral-beam-injected ions in the plug of a tandem mirror or in a single-cell mirror is also determined. Large-angle scattering losses are found to depend more strongly on mirror ratio than losses due to small-angle scattering, although including the motion of background ions reduces the effects of nuclear scattering. For d-t reactor parameters, the effects of nuclear scattering are not significant. For d-d reactors, however, the confinement time for 700 keV plug neutral beams is found to decrease by 20%.
Thomson scattering on non-equilibrium low density plasmas: principles, practice and challenges