Modeling nuclear fusion in dense plasmas using a cryogenic non-neutral plasma

Journal Article · Thu May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2844370· OSTI ID:21120344

Dubin, Daniel H. E. ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States)

An analogy between the nuclear reaction rate in a dense neutral plasma and the energy equipartition rate in a strongly magnetized non-neutral plasma is discussed. This analogy allows the first detailed measurements of plasma screening enhancements in the strong screening and pycnonuclear regimes. In strong magnetic fields and at low temperatures, cyclotron energy, like nuclear energy, is released only through rare close collisions between charges. The probability of such collisions is enhanced by plasma screening, just as for nuclear reactions. Rate enhancements of up to 10{sup 10} are measured in simulations of equipartition, and are compared to theories of screened nuclear reactions.

• OSTI ID: 21120344
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2844370; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COLD FUSION
COLLISIONS
CYCLOTRONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
SIMULATION