Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An apparatus for producing high-energy plasma comprising:a magnetic mirror containment field providing axially-extending magnetic flux lines converging at opposed first and second ends of a containment volume holding a plasma;a neutral beam generator directing a neutral beam of particles into the containment volume at a predetermined pitch and energy so that the particles disassociate into plasma ions within the containment volume, anda radiofrequency generator producing an electrical field to accelerate the plasma ions to an energy sufficient for fusion of the plasma ions. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the electrical field is functionally dependent on a cyclotron frequency at turning points for the plasma ions of the neutral beam in the magnetic mirror containment field. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the frequency is a harmonic of the cyclotron frequency greater than the cyclotron frequency. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the energy of the neutral beam is set so that more than 50 percent of the neutral beam particles are converted to plasma ions. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the neutral beam has an energy of less than 50,000 electron volts. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the radiofrequency generator boosts the energy of the plasma ions from the neutral beam by more than 2 times. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the radiofrequency generator includes an antenna positioned to be proximate to a reflection limit of the plasma ions and to generate a rotating electric vector perpendicular to the axis of the magnetic mirror containment field. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the pitch is between 300 and 60° to the axis. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a treatment volume at least partially surrounding the containment volume to receive high-energy neutrons therethrough and containing an element for transmutation into a different element. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the element for transmutation is a precursor to a a medical radioisotope selected from the group consisting of precursors 99Mo, 131I, 133Xe; and 177Lu. 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the element for transmutation is an exhausted nuclear fuel. 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the neutral beam is selected from the group consisting of deuterium and tritium. 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the neutral beam is deuterium. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein including a pair of magnetic coils producing the magnetic mirror containment field and wherein the radiofrequency generator provides an antenna between the magnetic coils and wherein the containment volume is contained within a gas-tight chamber. 15. A fusion apparatus comprising:a reaction volume holding a fusible material within a first axially-extending magnetic containment field;a first and second plasma plug flanking the reaction volume along the axis; each plasma plug including:(a) a magnetic mirror containment field providing axially-extending magnetic flux lines converging at opposed first and second ends of a containment volume holding a plasma;(b) a neutral beam generator directing a neutral beam of particles into the containment volume at a predetermined pitch and energy so that the particles disassociate into plasma ions within the containment volume; and(c) a radiofrequency generator producing an electrical field to accelerate the plasma ions to an energy above that of the particles entering the containment volume;whereby plasma ions escaping from the first and second plasma plug produce a fusion reaction in the reaction volume. 16. The fusion apparatus of claim 15 wherein a pressure of plasma ions within the first and second plasma plug is greater than a pressure of plasma ions within the reaction volume. 17. The fusion apparatus of claim 16 further including an electrical generator receiving neutrons from the reaction volume to generate electrical power.