Abstract
We investigate a new laser-driven spherically convergent plasma fusion scheme (SCPF) that can produce thermonuclear neutrons stably and efficiently. In the SCPF scheme, laser beams of nanosecond pulse duration and intensity uniformly irradiate the fuel layer lined inside a spherical hohlraum. The fuel layer is ablated and heated to expand inwards. Eventually, the hot fuel plasmas converge, collide, merge, and stagnate at the central region, converting most of their kinetic energy to internal energy, forming a thermonuclear fusion fireball. With the assumptions of steady ablation and adiabatic expansion, we theoretically predict the neutron yield to be related to the laser energy , the hohlraum radius , and the pulse duration through a scaling law of . We have done experiments at the ShengGuangIII-prototype facility to demonstrate the principle of the SCPF scheme. Some important implications are discussed.
- Received 14 December 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.165001
© 2017 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Synopsis
Neutrons On-Demand from Laser Fusion
Published 19 April 2017
A new laser-driven fusion method could lead to a robust and efficient way to generate neutrons for use in materials science, geology, and other fields.
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