Fast-Ion Channeling (P6)

Fast-ion channeling redirects energetic-ion energy into the plasma fuel ions — a key Kronos upside, bounded and gated as prediction P6.

What

Transfers fast-ion energy to bulk fuel ions

Mechanism

Fisch–Rax wave channeling

Prediction

≥ 15% credit, proof-of-principle (P6)

Bound

~30% redress even at 100% efficiency

Fast-ion channeling is a technique for steering the energy of fast (energetic) ions where it is most useful — into the bulk fuel ions, rather than letting it drain into the electrons via collisions. By the Fisch–Rax mechanism, plasma waves mediate the transfer, which would help sustain the hot-ion posture that raises fusion output.

For Kronos this is a genuine but bounded upside. It is pre-registered as prediction P6 — a ≥ 15% credit, proof-of-principle demonstration at the G1 testbed — and the extension analyses bound the total redress of the hot-ion "tax" at about 30% even at perfect efficiency. Crucially, the same proton-line budget is contested by direct energy conversion, so channeling and DEC compete; the design plans to the near-thermal baseline and treats channeling as earned upside.