- 168 --


high power is steady and continuous, the reactor can be expected to reach the power level necessary to overcome bremsstrahlung, and then support the desired plasma temperature in prolonged steady state operation. If the power rise must be achieved by the addition of large positive reactivity bursts, then the plasma core reactor would have to be operated in a pulsed mode in order to sufficiently heat the hydrogen exhaust. The question of continuous or pulsed operation cannot be answered until the time dependent coupling betweem turbulent plasma flow, radiant energy transfer, and neutron transport are investigated theoretically and experimentally. When more extensive and accurate plasma data have been obtained, these time dependent problems would be a logical extension of the present study. At the same time, improved static calculations should be continued to evaluate and refine the important steady state properties of the plasma core reactor.