Antiproton annihilation dynamics in the Gasdynamic Fusion Rocket

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.49914· OSTI ID:385510

Kammash, T; Lee, M ^[1]

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1. Department of Nuclear Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

The use of antiprotons to initiate the fusion reactions in the Gasdynamic Fusion Rocket (GDFR) is examined as potential replacement of the neutral beam injection system often cited in connection with fusion power reactors. The effectiveness of this approach depends critically, however, on the ability of the antiprotons to penetrate the plasma and reach the center of the engine without undergoing many annihilation reactions along the way. Using expressions for the annihilation rate per unit distance and the stopping power of antiprotons in a fully ionized hydrogenous plasma we calculate the annihilation distribution and the fraction of antiprotons that reach the central region in a relatively cold deuterium-tritium plasma. We apply these results to a rocket engine 16 m in length and containing plasma with 10{sup 16} cm{sup {minus}3} density, and we find that well over 90{percent} of the annihilations take place within a few centimeters from the midplane of the engine when the initial plasma temperature is 20 eV. Under these conditions we find that about 10{sup {minus}5} grams per second of antiprotons injected at an energy of about 4 MeV are required to ignite the plasma in this rocket engine. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 385510
• Report Number(s): CONF-960109-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 96:026258
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 361, Issue 1; Conference: STAIF 96: space technology and applications international forum, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 7-11 Jan 1996; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
SPACE FLIGHT
ANTIPROTON REACTIONS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
STOPPING POWER
ROCKETS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
DEUTERIUM
TRITIUM
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems