Spherically symmetric simulation of plasma liner driven magnetoinertial fusion

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3481461· OSTI ID:21432281

Samulyak, Roman ^[1]; Parks, Paul ^[2]; Lingling, Wu ^[1]

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1. Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794 (United States)
2. General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)

Spherically symmetric simulations of the implosion of plasma liners and compression of plasma targets in the concept of the plasma jet driven magnetoinertial fusion have been performed using the method of front tracking. The cases of single deuterium and xenon liners and double layer deuterium-xenon liners compressing various deuterium-tritium targets have been investigated, optimized for maximum fusion energy gains, and compared with theoretical predictions and scaling laws of [P. Parks, Phys. Plasmas 15, 062506 (2008)]. In agreement with the theory, the fusion gain was significantly below unity for deuterium-tritium targets compressed by Mach 60 deuterium liners. The most optimal setup for a given chamber size contained a target with the initial radius of 20 cm compressed by a 10 cm thick, Mach 60 xenon liner, achieving a fusion energy gain of 10 with 10 GJ fusion yield. Simulations also showed that composite deuterium-xenon liners reduce the energy gain due to lower target compression rates. The effect of heating of targets by alpha particles on the fusion energy gain has also been investigated.

• OSTI ID: 21432281
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 9; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3481461; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DEUTERIUM
FUSION YIELD
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LINERS
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA JETS
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
SCALING LAWS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
TRITIUM TARGET
XENON
CONFINEMENT
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HEATING
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
RARE GASES
SIMULATION
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS
TARGETS
YIELDS