Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T20:09:22.017Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Inertial fusion features in degenerate plasmas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2005

PABLO T. LEÓN ,
SHALOM ELIEZER ,
MIREIA PIERA  and
JOSÉ M. MARTÍNEZ-VAL
PABLO T. LEÓN
Affiliation:
Nuclear Fusion Institute (IFN), Madrid, Spain
SHALOM ELIEZER
Affiliation:
Nuclear Fusion Institute (IFN), Madrid, Spain
MIREIA PIERA
Affiliation:
Nuclear Fusion Institute (IFN), Madrid, Spain
JOSÉ M. MARTÍNEZ-VAL
Affiliation:
Nuclear Fusion Institute (IFN), Madrid, Spain
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Very high plasma densities can be obtained at the end of the implosion phase in inertial fusion targets, particularly in the so-called fast-ignition scheme (Tabak et al., 1994; Mulser & Bauer, 2004), where a central hot spark is not needed at all. By properly tailoring the fuel compression stage, degenerate states can be reached (Azechi et al., 1991; Nakai et al., 1991; McCory, 1998). In that case, most of the relevant energy transfer mechanisms involving electrons are affected (Honrubia & Tikhonchuk, 2004; Bibi & Matte, 2004; Bibi et al., 2004). For instance, bremsstrahlung emission is highly suppressed (Eliezer et al., 2003). In fact, a low ignition-temperature regime appears at very high plasma densities, due to radiation leakage reduction (León et al., 2001). Stopping power and ion-electron coulomb collisions are also changed in this case, which are important mechanisms to trigger ignition by the incoming fast jet, and to launch the fusion wave from the igniting region into the colder, degenerate plasma. All these points are reviewed in this paper. Although degenerate states would not be easy to obtain by target implosion, they present a very interesting upper limit that deserves more attention in order to complete the understanding on the different domains for inertial confinement fusion.

Keywords

DegenerateFast-IgnitionInertial fusion
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , June 2005 , pp. 193 - 198
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This paper was presented at the 28th ECLIM Conference in Rome, Italy.

References

REFERENCES

Atzeni, S., Temporal, M. & Honrubia, J. (2002). A first analysis of fast ignition of precompressed ICF fuel by laser-accelerated protons. Nuc. Fusion 42, L1.Google Scholar
Azechi, H.,et al. (1991). High density compression experiments at ILE, Osaka. Laser Part. Beams 9, 193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibi, F.A., Matte, J.P. & Kieffer, J.C. (2004). Fokker-Planck simulation of hot electron transport in solid density plasma. Laser Part. Beams 22, 97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibi, F.A. & Matte, J.P. (2004). Nonlocal electron heat transport and electron-ion energy transfer in the presence of strong collisional heating.
Brysk, H. (1974). Electron-ion equilibration in a partially degenerate plasma. Plasma Phys. 16, 927.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deutsch, C.,et al. (1997a). Interactions physics of the fast ignitor concept. Laser Part. Beams 15, 557.Google Scholar
Deutsch, C., Bret, A., Eliezer, S., Martìnez-Val, J.M. & Tahir, M. (1997b). Fusion Technology 31, 1.
Deutsch, C. (2004). Penetration of intense charged particle beams in the outer layers of pre-compressed thermonuclear fuel. Laser Part. Beams 22, 115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eliezer, S. & Martìnez-Val, J.M. (1998). Proton-boron-11 fusion reactions induced by heat-detonation burning waves. Laser Part. Beams 16, 581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eliezer, S. León, P.T., Martìnez-Val, J.M., &Fisher, D. (2003). Radiation loss from inertially confined degenerate plasmas. Laser Part. Beams 21, 599.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honrubia, J. & Tikhonchuk, V. (2004). Workshop on simulation of ultra intense laser beam interaction with matter. Laser Part. Beams 22, 95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kidder, R.E. (1974). Energy gain of laser-compressed pellets: A simple model calculation. Nuc Fusion 14, 53.Google Scholar
Key, M.H. (2001). Fast track to fusion energy. Nature 412, 775CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kodama, R.,et al. (2001). Fast heating of ultrahigh-density plasma as a step towards laser fusion ignition. Nature 412, 789.Google Scholar
León, P.T., Eliezer, S., Martìnez-Val, J.M. & Piera, M. (2001). Fusion burning waves in degenerate plasmas. Phys Lett A 289, 135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martìnez-Val, J.M. & Piera, M. (1997). Fusion burning waves ignated by cumulation jets. Fusion Technol. 32, 131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCory, R.L. (1998). Nature 335, 225.
Meyer-ter-Vehn, J. (1992). Lettes on energy gain of fusion targets: The model of Kidder and Bodner improved. Nuc. Fusion 22, 561.Google Scholar
Mulser, P. & Bauer, D. (2004). Fast ignition of fusion pellets with superintense lasers: Concepts, problems and prospectives. Laser Part. Beams 22, 5–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakai, S., et al. (1991). Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1990, IAEA/CN-53/B-1-3, IAEA, Vienna.
Piriz, R.A. & Sanchez, M.M. (1998). Phys. Plasmas 5, 2721.
Piriz, R.A. & Sanchez, M.M. (1998). Phys. Plasmas 5, 4373.
Roth, M.,et al. (2001). Fast ignition by intense-accelerated proton beams. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skupsky, S. (1977). Energy loss of ions moving through high-density matter. Phys. Rev A 16, 727.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Son, S. & Fisch, N.J. (2004). Aneutronic fusion in a degenerate plasma. Phys Lett A. 329, 76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabak, M.et al. (1994). Ignition and high gain with ultrapoweful lasers. Phys. Plasmas 1, 1626.Google Scholar
Velarde, P., Ogando, F. & Eliezer, S. (2003). Target ignition driven by jet interaction. IFSA, Monterrey.