Implementation of the thermonuclear process in D{sup 3}He-{sup 9}Be plasma on the basis of a Z pinch with an ultrafast laser ignition
- Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics (Russian Federation)
A new concept of inertial-magnetic confinement fusion is proposed. This concept is based on a high-current Z pinch combined with a femtosecond laser. The fusion target is composed of a D{sup 3}He fuel contained under a high pressure inside a sealed cylindrical capsule made from metallic {sup 9}Be. An electric discharge along the capsule preheats the target and transforms it into a state of compressed liner. A subsequent TW femtosecond-laser pulse focused on a target end face causes ultrafast cold ignition of a small portion of the D{sup 3}He fuel. This laser impact generates energetic electrons and ions, which trigger a nuclear-physics mechanism of a catalytic heating of the fuel and also creates a detonation shock wave capable of propagating along the plasma filament. It is shown that the self-sustaining fusion burn wave can appear in the D{sup 3}He-{sup 9}Be plasma, in which case the bulk of the energy release is carried by nonradioactive ions, with the energy gain being in excess of 50. The possibility of probing the fusion process by means of gamma-ray spectroscopy is also discussed. The radiative-capture reactions {sup 3}He(d, {gamma}), D(d, {gamma}), and {sup 3}He({sup 3}He, {gamma}) naturally accompanying the burning of the D{sup 3}He fuel are shown to serve as a convenient diagnostic tool. A nuclear 'marker' of D{sup 3}He fusion on the basis of the detection of monochromatic gamma rays produced in the reaction {sup 9}Be({alpha}, {gamma}n), which is induced in the liner beryllium shell by energetic fusion alpha particles, is also examined.
- OSTI ID:
- 21436252
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Atomic Nuclei, Vol. 73, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1134/S1063778810010060; Copyright (c) 2010 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; ISSN 1063-7788
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALPHA PARTICLES
BERYLLIUM
BERYLLIUM 9
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
DEUTERON REACTIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
HELIUM 3
HELIUM 3 REACTIONS
IGNITION
IONS
LASERS
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
MONOCHROMATIC RADIATION
NUCLEAR PHYSICS
PLASMA
PLASMA FILAMENT
PRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA 10-100
SHOCK WAVES
TAIL ELECTRONS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FERMIONS
HELIUM ISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
LEPTONS
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
PHYSICS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PRESSURE RANGE
PRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA
RADIATIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS