Elevated Electron Temperature Coincident with Observed Fusion Reactions in a Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z Pinch

Levitt, B.; Goyon, C.; Banasek, J.  T.; Bott-Suzuki, S.  C.; Liekhus-Schmaltz, C.; Meier, E.  T.; Morton, L.  A.; Taylor, A.; Young, W.  C.; Nelson, B.  A.; Sutherland, D.  A.; Quinley, M.; Stepanov, A.  D.; Barhydt, J.  R.; Tsai, P.; Morgan, K.  D.; van Rossum, N.; Hossack, A.  C.; Weber, T.  R.; McGehee, W.  A.; Nguyen, P.; Shah, A.; Kiddy, S.; Van Patten, M.; Youmans, A.  E.; Higginson, D.  P.; McLean, H.  S.; Wurden, Glen Anthony; Shumlak, U.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.132.155101

Title: Elevated Electron Temperature Coincident with Observed Fusion Reactions in a Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z Pinch

Journal Article · 07 April 2024 · Physical Review Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.132.155101 · OSTI ID:2337575

Levitt, B. ^[1]; Goyon, C. ^[2]; Banasek, J. T. ^[3]; Bott-Suzuki, S. C. ^[3]; Liekhus-Schmaltz, C. ^[1]; Meier, E. T. ^[1]; Morton, L. A. ^[1]; Taylor, A. ^[1]; Young, W. C. ^[1]; Nelson, B. A. ^[1]; Sutherland, D. A. ^[1]; Quinley, M. ^[1]; Stepanov, A. D. ^[1]; Barhydt, J. R. ^[1]; Tsai, P. ^[1]; Morgan, K. D. ^[1]; van Rossum, N. ^[1]; Hossack, A. C. ^[1]; Weber, T. R. ^[1]; McGehee, W. A. ^[1] more »

Zap Energy Inc., Seattle, WA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Zap Energy Inc., Seattle, WA (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

The sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch concept has been studied extensively and is able to produce fusion-relevant plasma parameters along with neutron production over several microseconds. In this work, we present elevated electron temperature results spatially and temporally coincident with the plasma neutron source. An optical Thomson scattering apparatus designed for the FuZE device measures temperatures in the range of 1–3 keV on the axis of the device, 20 cm downstream of the nose cone. The 17-fiber system measures the radial profiles of the electron temperature. Scanning the laser time with respect to the neutron pulse time over a series of discharges allows the reconstruction of the T_e temporal response, confirming that the electron temperature peaks simultaneously with the neutron output, as well as the pinch current and inductive voltage generated within the plasma. Comparison to spectroscopic ion temperature measurements suggests a plasma in thermal equilibrium. The elevated T_e confirms the presence of a plasma assembled on axis, and indicates limited radiative losses, demonstrating a basis for scaling this device toward net gain fusion conditions.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001; AC52-07NA27344; AR0000571; AR0001010; AR0001165; AR0001260

OSTI ID:: 2337575

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-24-26448; LLNL-JRNL-844650; 1067584

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 132; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (25)

On the possibility of producing thermonuclear reactions in a gas discharge Kurchatov, I. V. Journal of Nuclear Energy (1954), Vol. 4, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0891-3919(57)90054-2	journal	February 1957
Advanced physics calculations using a multi-fluid plasma model Shumlak, U.; Lilly, R.; Reddell, N. Computer Physics Communications, Vol. 182, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2010.12.048	journal	September 2011
Measurements of temporally- and spatially-resolved neutron production in a sheared-flow stabilized Z-pinch Mitrani, James M.; Higginson, Drew P.; Draper, Zack T. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 947 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2019.162764	journal	December 2019
Measurement of the Electron Temperature by Thomson Scattering in Tokamak T3 Peacock, N. J.; Robinson, D. C.; Forrest, M. J. Nature, Vol. 224, Issue 5218 https://doi.org/10.1038/224488a0	journal	November 1969
Sheared flow stabilization experiments in the ZaP flow Z pinch Shumlak, U.; Nelson, B. A.; Golingo, R. P. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 10, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1558294	journal	May 2003
Z-pinch plasma neutron sources Velikovich, A. L.; Clark, R. W.; Davis, J. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 14, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2435322	journal	February 2007
Digital holographic interferometry employing Fresnel transform reconstruction for the study of flow shear stabilized Z-pinch plasmas Ross, M. P.; Shumlak, U. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 87, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964387	journal	October 2016
Increasing plasma parameters using sheared flow stabilization of a Z-pinch Shumlak, U.; Nelson, B. A.; Claveau, E. L. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 24, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4977468	journal	May 2017
Z-pinch fusion Shumlak, U. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 127, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0004228	journal	May 2020
Experimental determination of the thermal, turbulent, and rotational ion motion and magnetic field profiles in imploding plasmas Maron, Yitzhak Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 27, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0009432	journal	June 2020
Flow Z-pinch plasma production on the FuZE experiment Stepanov, A. D.; Shumlak, U.; McLean, H. S. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 27, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0020481	journal	November 2020
Thermonuclear neutron emission from a sheared-flow stabilized Z-pinch Mitrani, James M.; Brown, Joshua A.; Goldblum, Bethany L. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 28, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0066257	journal	November 2021
Probing local electron temperature and density inside a sheared flow stabilized Z-pinch using portable optical Thomson scattering Banasek, J. T.; Goyon, C.; Bott-Suzuki, S. C. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 94, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0135265	journal	February 2023
The Zap Energy approach to commercial fusion Levitt, B.; Meier, E. T.; Umstattd, R. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 30, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0163361	journal	September 2023
Progress Toward a Compact Fusion Reactor Using the Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z-Pinch Forbes, Eleanor G.; Shumlak, Uri; McLean, Harry S. Fusion Science and Technology, Vol. 75, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1622971	journal	July 2019
Engineering Paradigms for Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z-Pinch Fusion Energy Thompson, M. C.; Levitt, B.; Nelson, B. A. Fusion Science and Technology, Vol. 79, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2209131	journal	June 2023
Improved formulas for fusion cross-sections and thermal reactivities Bosch, H. -S; Hale, G. M. Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 32, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/32/4/I07	journal	April 1992
Equilibrium, flow shear and stability measurements in the Z-pinch Shumlak, U.; Adams, C. S.; Blakely, J. M. Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 49, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/49/7/075039	journal	July 2009
The behaviour of impurities out of coronal equilibrium Carolan, P. G.; Piotrowicz, V. A. Plasma Physics, Vol. 25, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1088/0032-1028/25/10/001	journal	October 1983
A review of the dense Z -pinch Haines, M. G. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 53, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/53/9/093001	journal	June 2011
Neutron Production in Linear Deuterium Pinches Anderson, Oscar A.; Baker, William R.; Colgate, Stirling A. Physical Review, Vol. 110, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.110.1375	journal	June 1958
Sustained Neutron Production from a Sheared-Flow Stabilized Z Pinch Zhang, Y.; Shumlak, U.; Nelson, B. A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.135001	journal	April 2019
Sheared Flow Stabilization of the m = 1 Kink Mode in Z Pinches Shumlak, U.; Hartman, C. W. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 75, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.75.3285	journal	October 1995
Evidence of Stabilization in the Z -Pinch Shumlak, U.; Golingo, R. P.; Nelson, B. A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 87, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.205005	journal	October 2001
The Sheared-Flow Stabilized Z-Pinch Shumlak, U.; Chadney, J.; Golingo, R. P. Fusion Science and Technology, Vol. 61, Issue 1T https://doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A13407	journal	January 2012

Similar Records

Plasma pressure profiles in a sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch

Journal Article · 2024 · Physics of Plasmas · OSTI ID:2567868

Goyon, C.; Bott-Suzuki, S. C.; Youmans, A. E.; +21 more

Measurements of temporally- and spatially-resolved neutron production in a sheared-flow stabilized Z-pinch

Journal Article · 2019 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment · OSTI ID:1811753

Mitrani, James M.; Higginson, Drew P.; Draper, Zack T.; +13 more

Probing local electron temperature and density inside a sheared flow stabilized Z-pinch using portable optical Thomson scattering

Journal Article · 2023 · Review of Scientific Instruments · OSTI ID:1989091

Banasek, J. T.; Goyon, C.; Bott-Suzuki, S. C.; +6 more

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
Magnetic Fusion Energy
fusion reactors
optical plasma measurements
plasma fusion
plasma thermodynamics
spectroscopy
z-pinches

Title: Elevated Electron Temperature Coincident with Observed Fusion Reactions in a Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z Pinch

Citation Formats

References (25)

Similar Records

Related Subjects