Inertial-confinement nuclear fusion

Preheat shields for laser targets in inertial-confinement nuclear fusion 8 X lO yy/cm 50 X 10 C... 

Pulsed plasmas containing hydrogen isotopes can produce bursts of alpha particles and neutrons as a consequence of nuclear reactions. The neutrons are useful for radiation-effects testing and for other materials research. A dense plasma focus filled with deuterium at low pressure has produced 10 neutrons in a single pulse (76) (see Deuterium AND TRITIUM). Intense neutron fluxes also are expected from thermonuclear fusion research devices employing either magnetic or inertial confinement. 

Velarde. G.. Y. Rnncn, cl at. Nuclear Fusion bx inertial Confinement. CRC Press. LLC,. Boca Raton, FL. 1993. 

Nuclei ( Li, Li) for Tritium Breeding. For either magnetically confined or inertially confined fusion, the near term nuclear species involved will be deuterium (0) and tritium (T). 

Abstract This chapter gives the conditions for achieving power production using nuclear fusion reactions. The two basic schemes for plasma confinement, inertial and magnetic, are briefly considered and the present technical solutions are outlined. The physical and chemical processes taking place between the hot plasma and the containing vessel wall are discussed in more detail. At the end of the chapter, the present status of research and the planned future development plans are summarized. 

In addition to the status of magnetic confinement fusion, it is worth briefly considering the status of inertial confinement fusion developments as well. This field has been combined with military research for the study of materials under extreme conditions experienced during nuclear bomb explosions therefore, its progress was only partly visible to the public. However, recently two major laser IGF facilities are being built or operated Laser Megajoule (LMJ)... 

ICF An Inertial confinement Fusion experiment in which the fluid submitted to nuclear fusion experiments (deuterium and tritium) is confined inside the pores of carbon or silica... 

Gamma-ray laser action is a further related field which has attracted much efforts [9.306], Laser-driven (inertial confinement) fusion using the largest laser installation is a huge research field for laser-nuclear interaction [9.307]. The laser energy requirements for conventional laser-driven deuterium-tritium fusion seem to be difficult to reach. This has stimulated the development of a modified concept, the /ast igniter scheme, where an extremely intense (petawatt) laser pulse is fired into the pre-compressed plasma [9.308]. 

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