High efficient ultrahigh acceleration of plasma blocks by PW-ps laser pulses for producing fusion flames in DT and HB11 of solid state density

Abstract

Ultrahigh acceleration of plasma blocks in the range of 1020 cm/s2 has been confirmed experimentally after this was long predicted as a non-thermal direct conversion of optical energy into plasma motion due to dominating nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces [1]. The use of laser pulses of more than PW power and ps or shorter duration can ignite a nuclear fusion flame in solid density deuterium tritium because the necessary energy flux of >108J/cm2 according to the theory of Chu [2] is available [3]. For the studies of the necessary velocities of the generated fusion flames above 1000 km/s the detailed processes can be analyzed by using the advanced genuine two-fluid hydrodynamic model [4] where it was surprising that the ignition of the fusion flame by the picosecond interaction needs a comparably long development in the nanosecond range before the thermal processes result in shock fronts similar to the Rakine-Hugoniot theory. For the evaluation of power generation the problem of lateral energy losses was studied by using very high pulsed magnetic fields. The recently produced 10 Kilotesla magnetic fields [5] are very promising for solutions.