scholarly journals Review on Recent Developments in Laser Driven Inertial Fusion

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ghoranneviss ◽  
A. Salar Elahi
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Short Pulses ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
High Energy Concentration

Discovery of the laser in 1960 hopes were based on using its very high energy concentration within very short pulses of time and very small volumes for energy generation from nuclear fusion as “Inertial Fusion Energy” (IFE), parallel to the efforts to produce energy from “Magnetic Confinement Fusion” (MCF), by burning deuterium-tritium (DT) in high temperature plasmas to helium. Over the years the fusion gain was increased by a number of magnitudes and has reached nearly break-even after numerous difficulties in physics and technology had been solved. After briefly summarizing laser driven IFE, we report how the recently developed lasers with pulses of petawatt power and picosecond duration may open new alternatives for IFE with the goal to possibly ignite solid or low compressed DT fuel thereby creating a simplified reactor scheme. Ultrahigh acceleration of plasma blocks after irradiation of picosecond (PS) laser pulses of around terawatt (TW) power in the range of 1020 cm/s2was discovered by Sauerbrey (1996) as measured by Doppler effect where the laser intensity was up to about 1018 W/cm2. This is several orders of magnitude higher than acceleration by irradiation based on thermal interaction of lasers has produced.

scholarly journals Fundamentals and Applications of Hybrid LWFA-PWFA

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (13) ◽  
pp. 2626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Hidding ◽  
Andrew Beaton ◽  
Lewis Boulton ◽  
Sebastién Corde ◽  
Andreas Doepp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Pulses ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Hybrid Approaches ◽  
Wakefield Acceleration ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Energy Gains ◽  
Plasma Wakefield

Fundamental similarities and differences between laser-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) are discussed. The complementary features enable the conception and development of novel hybrid plasma accelerators, which allow previously not accessible compact solutions for high quality electron bunch generation and arising applications. Very high energy gains can be realized by electron beam drivers even in single stages because PWFA is practically dephasing-free and not diffraction-limited. These electron driver beams for PWFA in turn can be produced in compact LWFA stages. In various hybrid approaches, these PWFA systems can be spiked with ionizing laser pulses to realize tunable and high-quality electron sources via optical density downramp injection (also known as plasma torch) or plasma photocathodes (also known as Trojan Horse) and via wakefield-induced injection (also known as WII). These hybrids can act as beam energy, brightness and quality transformers, and partially have built-in stabilizing features. They thus offer compact pathways towards beams with unprecedented emittance and brightness, which may have transformative impact for light sources and photon science applications. Furthermore, they allow the study of PWFA-specific challenges in compact setups in addition to large linac-based facilities, such as fundamental beam–plasma interaction physics, to develop novel diagnostics, and to develop contributions such as ultralow emittance test beams or other building blocks and schemes which support future plasma-based collider concepts.

scholarly journals Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the first special edition

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200006 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Norreys ◽  
C. Ridgers ◽  
K. Lancaster ◽  
M. Koepke ◽  
G. Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Energy Part ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
Basic Studies

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. The Hooke discussion meeting in March 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in inertial confinement fusion research world-wide to date. This first edition of two special issues seeks to identify paths forward to achieve high fusion energy gain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

scholarly journals Edward Teller Lectures—Lasers and Inertial Fusion Energy, Heinrich Hora and George H. Miley, eds.

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-330
Author(s):  
Dieter H.H. Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Particle Beam ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Research Field ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Intense Laser ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Edward Teller

Edward Teller Lectures—Lasers and Inertial Fusion Energy, Heinrich Hora and George H. Miley, eds. Foreword by E.M. Campbell. First edition. Imperial College Press, London, 365 pp. US $63.00 ISBN: 1-86094-468-XSince 1991, the Edward Teller Medal is awarded to individual researchers in recognition of their respective pioneering experimental or theoretical work in the field of intense laser and particle beam physics, and physics application of high power drivers, which is exactly the field that the journalLaser and Particle Beamscovers in great detail. Motivation of this research field is the investigation of properties of high energy density matter with the ultimate goal to achieve inertial fusion in the laboratory under reproducible conditions, and to develop a scientific basis for inertial fusion energy.

scholarly journals Collective alpha particle stopping for reduction of the threshold for laser fusion using nonlinear force driven plasma blocks

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Malekynia ◽  
M. Ghoranneviss ◽  
H. Hora ◽  
G.H. Miley
Keyword(s):  
Threshold Value ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Skin Layer ◽  
Alpha Particles ◽  
Hydrodynamic Theory ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Collision Theory ◽  
Collective Effect ◽  
Very High Energy

AbstractThe anomaly at laser plasma interaction at laser pulses of TW to PW power and ps duration led to a very unique generation of quasi-neutral plasma blocks by a skin layer interaction avoiding the relativistic self-focusing. This is in contrast to numerous usual experiments. The plasma blocks have ion current densities above 1011A/cm2and may be used for a fast ignition scheme with comparably low compression of the deuterium tritium (DT) fuel. The difficulty is that a very high energy flux densityE* of the ions is necessary according to the hydrodynamic theory (Bobin, 1971, 1974; Chu, 1972). This theory did not include the later discovered collective effect for the stopping power of the alpha particles. One problem is being discussed, whether the Bethe-Bloch binary collision theory or the collective collision theory of Gabor has to be applied. The inclusion of the collective effect results in a reduction of the threshold value ofE* for ignition by a factor of about fife.

scholarly journals Nonlinear force driven plasma blocks igniting solid density hydrogen boron: Laser fusion energy without radioactivity

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hora ◽  
G.H. Miley ◽  
N. Azizi ◽  
B. Malekynia ◽  
M. Ghoranneviss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Production ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Nuclear Radiation ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Neutron Generation ◽  
Alternative Scheme

AbstractEnergy production by laser driven fusion energy is highly matured by spherical compression and ignition of deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel. An alternative scheme is the fast ignition where petawatt (PW)-picosecond (ps) laser pulses are used. A significant anomaly was measured and theoretically analyzed with very clean PW-ps laser pulses for avoiding relativistic self focusing. This permits a come-back of the side-on ignition scheme of uncompressed solid DT, which is in essential contrast to the spherical compression scheme. The conditions of side-on ignition thresholds needed exorbitantly high energy flux densities E*. These conditions are now in reach by using PW-ps laser pulses to verify side-on ignition for DT. Generalizing this to side-on igniting solid state density proton-Boron-11 (HB11) arrives at the surprising result that this is one order of magnitude more difficult than the DT fusion. This is in contrast to the well known impossibility of igniting HB11 by spherical laser compression and may offer fusion energy production with exclusion of neutron generation and nuclear radiation effects with a minimum of heat pollution in power stations and application for long mission space propulsion.

scholarly journals Double-cone ignition scheme for inertial confinement fusion

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200015 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Zhang ◽  
W. M. Wang ◽  
X. H. Yang ◽  
D. Wu ◽  
Y. Y. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Double Cone ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Fast Heating ◽  
Isentropic Compression ◽  
Confinement Fusion

While major progress has been made in the research of inertial confinement fusion, significant challenges remain in the pursuit of ignition. To tackle the challenges, we propose a double-cone ignition (DCI) scheme, in which two head-on gold cones are used to confine deuterium–tritium (DT) shells imploded by high-power laser pulses. The scheme is composed of four progressive controllable processes: quasi-isentropic compression, acceleration, head-on collision and fast heating of the compressed fuel. The quasi-isentropic compression is performed inside two head-on cones. At the later stage of the compression, the DT shells in the cones are accelerated to forward velocities of hundreds of km s –1 . The head-on collision of the compressed and accelerated fuels from the cone tips transfer the forward kinetic energy to the thermal energy of the colliding fuel with an increased density. The preheated high-density fuel can keep its status for a period of approximately 200 ps. Within this period, MeV electrons generated by ps heating laser pulses, guided by a ns laser-produced strong magnetic field further heat the fuel efficiently. Our simulations show that the implosion inside the head-on cones can greatly mitigate the energy requirement for compression; the collision can preheat the compressed fuel of approximately 300 g cm −3 to a temperature above keV. The fuel can then reach an ignition temperature of greater than 5 keV with magnetically assisted heating of MeV electrons generated by the heating laser pulses. Experimental campaigns to demonstrate the scheme have already begun. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

scholarly journals Inertial confinement fusion: a defence context

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Randewich ◽  
Rob Lock ◽  
Warren Garbett ◽  
Dominic Bethencourt-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
The Uk

Almost 30 years since the last UK nuclear test, it remains necessary regularly to underwrite the safety and effectiveness of the National Nuclear Deterrent. To do so has been possible to date because of the development of continually improving science and engineering tools running on ever more powerful high-performance computing platforms, underpinned by cutting-edge experimental facilities. While some of these facilities, such as the Orion laser, are based in the UK, others are accessed by international collaboration. This is most notably with the USA via capabilities such as the National Ignition Facility, but also with France where a joint hydrodynamics facility is nearing completion following establishment of a Treaty in 2010. Despite the remarkable capability of the science and engineering tools, there is an increasing requirement for experiments as materials age and systems inevitably evolve further from what was specifically trialled at underground nuclear tests (UGTs). The data from UGTs will remain the best possible representation of the extreme conditions generated in a nuclear explosion, but it is essential to supplement these data by realizing new capabilities that will bring us closer to achieving laboratory simulations of these conditions. For high-energy-density physics, the most promising technique for generating temperatures and densities of interest is inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Continued research in ICF by the UK will support the certification of the deterrent for decades to come; hence the UK works closely with the international community to develop ICF science. UK Ministry of Defence © Crown Owned Copyright 2020/AWE. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

High energy concentration by symmetric shock focusing

Shock Waves ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Apazidis ◽  
M. Kjellander ◽  
N. Tillmark
Keyword(s):  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Shock Focusing ◽  
High Energy Concentration
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