Heavy ion beam propagation through a gas-filled chamber for inertial confinement fusion
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
The work presented here evaluates the dynamics of a beam of heavy ions propagating through a chamber filled with gas. The motivation for this research stems from the possibility of using heavy ion beams as a driver in inertial confinement fusion reactors for the purpose of generating electricity. Such a study is important in determining the constraints on the beam which limit its focus to the small radius necessary for the ignition of thermonuclear microexplosions which are the source of fusion energy. Nuclear fusion is the process of combining light nuclei to form heavier ones. One possible fusion reaction combines two isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, to form an alpha particle and a neutron, with an accompanying release of ~17.6 MeV of energy. Generating electricity from fusion requires that we create such reactions in an efficient and controlled fashion, and harness the resulting energy. In the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) approach to energy production, a small spherical target, a few millimeters in radius, of deuterium and tritium fuel is compressed so that the density and temperature of the fuel are high enough, ~200 g/cm3 and ~20 keV, that a substantial number of fusion reactions occur; the pellet microexplosion typically releases ~350 MJ of energy in optimized power plant scenarios.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) (SC-24)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 456337
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL--39779; ON: DE97004067
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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