Demonstration of thermonuclear conditions in magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments
In this study, the magnetized liner inertial fusion concept [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas17, 056303 (2010)] utilizes a magnetic field and laser heating to relax the pressure requirements of inertial confinement fusion. The first experiments to test the concept [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)] were conducted utilizing the 19 MA, 100 ns Z machine, the 2.5 kJ, 1 TW Z Beamlet laser, and the 10 T Applied B-field on Z system. Despite an estimated implosion velocity of only 70 km/s in these experiments, electron and ion temperatures at stagnation were as high as 3 keV, and thermonuclear deuterium-deuterium neutron yields up to 2 × 10 12 have been produced. X-ray emission from the fuel at stagnation had widths ranging from 50 to 110 μm over a roughly 80% of the axial extent of the target (6–8 mm) and lasted approximately 2 ns. X-ray yields from these experiments are consistent with a stagnation density of the hot fuel equal to 0.2–0.4 g/cm 3. In these experiments, up to 5 ×10 10 secondary deuterium-tritium neutrons were produced. Given that the areal density of the plasma was approximately 1–2 mg/cm 2, this indicates the stagnationmore »
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- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-2015-0939J
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; PHPAEN; 566912
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physics of Plasmas
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Research Org:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; neutrons; laser heating; magnetic fields; quantum dots; plasma temperature
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1235344