Device and method for imploding a microsphere with a fast liner

Patent · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:863862

Thode, Lester E ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

A device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma in a small localized region. A relativistic electron beam generator or accelerator produces a high-voltage electron beam which propagates along a vacuum drift tube and is modulated to initiate electron bunching within the beam. The beam is then directed through a low-density gas chamber which provides isolation between the vacuum modulator and the relativistic electron beam target. The relativistic beam is then applied to a high-density target plasma which typically comprises DT, DD, hydrogen boron or similar thermonuclear gas at a density of 10.sup.17 to 10.sup.20 electrons per cubic centimeter. The target gas is ionized prior to application of the electron beam by means of a laser or other preionization source to form a plasma. Utilizing a relativistic electron beam with an individual particle energy exceeding 3 MeV, classical scattering by relativistic electrons passing through isolation foils is negligible. As a result, relativistic streaming instabilities are initiated within the high-density target plasma causing the relativistic electron beam to efficiently deposit its energy and momentum into a small localized region of the high-density plasma target. Fast liners disposed in the high-density target plasma are explosively or ablatively driven to implosion by a heated annular plasma surrounding the fast liner generated by an annular relativistic electron beam. An azimuthal magnetic field produced by axial current flow in the annular plasma, causes the energy in the heated annular plasma to converge on the fast liner to drive the fast liner to implode a microsphere.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4263095
• OSTI ID: 863862
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/
10
17
20
ablatively
accelerator
accelerator produces
annular
application
applied
axial
axial current
azimuthal
beam
beam generator
beam heating
beam target
boron
bunching
causes
causing
centimeter
chamber
classical
classical scattering
comprises
comprises dt
converge
cubic
cubic centimeter
current
current flow
dd
density
density plasma
density target
deposit
device
directed
disposed
drift
drift tube
drive
driven
dt
efficiently
efficiently deposit
electron
electron beam
electron bunch
electron bunching
electrons
electrons pass
electrons passing
energy
energy exceeding
exceeding
explosively
fast
fast liner
fast liners
field
field produced
flow
foils
form
gas
gas chamber
generated
generator
heated
heating
high-density
high-density plasma
high-density target
high-voltage
high-voltage electron
hydrogen
hydrogen boron
implode
imploding
implosion
individual
individual particle
initiate
initiate electron
initiated
instabilities
ionization source
ionized
ionized prior
isolation
isolation foils
laser
liner
liners
localized
localized region
low-density
low-density gas
magnetic
magnetic field
means
method
mev
microsphere
modulated
modulator
momentum
negligible
particle
particle energy
passing
plasma
plasma causing
plasma target
preionization
preionization source
prior
produced
produces
propagates
provides
provides isolation
region
relativistic
relativistic beam
relativistic electron
relativistic electrons
relativistic streaming
result
scattering
similar
similar thermonuclear
source
streaming
streaming instabilities
surrounding
target
target gas
target plasma
thermonuclear
thermonuclear gas
tube
typically
typically comprise
typically comprises
utilizing
vacuum
vacuum drift
vacuum modulator
voltage electron