Enhancement to Fusion Reactivity in Sheared Flows

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Fetsch, Henry, Fisch, Nathaniel J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Fetsch, Henry
Fisch, Nathaniel J.
author_facet Fetsch, Henry
Fisch, Nathaniel J.
contents Sheared flow increases the reactivity of fusion plasma. In unmagnetized plasma with flow gradients comparable to the mean free path of reacting ions, fusion reactivity can be more than doubled. The effect is of particular relevance to inertial confinement fusion (ICF), where it allows implosion kinetic energy to contribute to the fusion burn even before thermalizing. In fast ignition, this allows remarkable energy savings because colder fuel stops alpha particles more quickly, enabling ignition in a smaller hot spot.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_03590
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Enhancement to Fusion Reactivity in Sheared Flows
Fetsch, Henry
Fisch, Nathaniel J.
Plasma Physics
Sheared flow increases the reactivity of fusion plasma. In unmagnetized plasma with flow gradients comparable to the mean free path of reacting ions, fusion reactivity can be more than doubled. The effect is of particular relevance to inertial confinement fusion (ICF), where it allows implosion kinetic energy to contribute to the fusion burn even before thermalizing. In fast ignition, this allows remarkable energy savings because colder fuel stops alpha particles more quickly, enabling ignition in a smaller hot spot.
title Enhancement to Fusion Reactivity in Sheared Flows
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03590