Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners
Abstract
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 drivenmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Los Alamos, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 863787
- Patent Number(s):
- 4248665
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by U.S. Department of (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21B - FUSION REACTORS
H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05H - PLASMA TECHNIQUE
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- device; method; relativistic; electron; beam; heating; high-density; plasma; drive; fast; liners; localized; region; generator; accelerator; produces; high-voltage; propagates; vacuum; drift; tube; modulated; initiate; bunching; directed; low-density; gas; chamber; provides; isolation; modulator; target; applied; typically; comprises; dt; dd; hydrogen; boron; similar; thermonuclear; density; 10; 17; 20; electrons; cubic; centimeter; ionized; prior; application; means; laser; preionization; source; form; utilizing; individual; particle; energy; exceeding; mev; classical; scattering; passing; foils; negligible; result; streaming; instabilities; initiated; causing; efficiently; deposit; momentum; disposed; explosively; ablatively; driven; implosion; heated; annular; surrounding; liner; generated; azimuthal; magnetic; field; produced; axial; current; flow; causes; converge; relativistic electrons; particle energy; target gas; high-density plasma; high-density target; typically comprises; individual particle; beam heating; cubic centimeter; accelerator produces; beam target; plasma causing; fast liner; density plasma; provides isolation; relativistic beam; beam generator; target plasma; field produced; relativistic electron; magnetic field; electron beam; current flow; drift tube; ionization source; localized region; gas chamber; axial current; relativistic streaming; streaming instabilities; similar thermonuclear; electrons passing; vacuum modulator; vacuum drift; initiate electron; thermonuclear gas; electron bunch; energy exceeding; electron bunching; efficiently deposit; comprises dt; classical scattering; isolation foils; ionized prior; preionization source; plasma target; fast liners; density target; electrons pass; low-density gas; voltage electron; hydrogen boron; high-voltage electron; typically comprise; /376/
Citation Formats
Thode, Lester E. Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners. United States: N. p., 1981.
Web.
Thode, Lester E. Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners. United States.
Thode, Lester E. Thu .
"Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/863787.
@article{osti_863787,
title = {Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners},
author = {Thode, Lester E},
abstractNote = {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 which is 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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1981},
month = {1}
}