Ignition Conditions for Simulated Fuel Pellets in Degenerate Plasma

Abstract

A high-density, low-temperature plasma can be obtained during the compression phase in inertial confinement fusion. When high density and low temperature are reached in the plasma in the fast ignition approach, the plasma electrons can be degenerate. The electronic stopping of a slow ion is smaller than that given by the classical formula, because some transitions between the electron states are forbidden. In this case, bremsstrahlung emission is strongly suppressed and the ignition temperature becomes lower than that in classical plasma. The equations that predict the behavior of these plasmas are different from the classical ones, and this is the main factor in the process of decreasing the ignition temperature of the plasma. In this work, physical conditions of ignition are studied by calculating the effect of radiation loss on the ignition temperature for a simulated fuel pellet, (D/Tx/3Hey), in degenerate plasma. In fast ignition, the energy needed for obtaining high densities is minimized and the gain can be increased considerably.