Implementation of the thermonuclear process in D3He-9Be plasma on the basis of a Z pinch with an ultrafast laser ignition

Abstract

A new concept of inertial-magnetic confinement fusion is proposed. This concept is based on a high-current Z pinch combined with a femtosecond laser. The fusion target is composed of a D3He fuel contained under a high pressure inside a sealed cylindrical capsule made from metallic 9Be. An electric discharge along the capsule preheats the target and transforms it into a state of compressed liner. A subsequent TW femtosecond-laser pulse focused on a target end face causes ultrafast cold ignition of a small portion of the D3He fuel. This laser impact generates energetic electrons and ions, which trigger a nuclear-physics mechanism of a catalytic heating of the fuel and also creates a detonation shock wave capable of propagating along the plasma filament. It is shown that the self-sustaining fusion burn wave can appear in the D3He-9Be plasma, in which case the bulk of the energy release is carried by nonradioactive ions, with the energy gain being in excess of 50. The possibility of probing the fusion process by means of gamma-ray spectroscopy is also discussed. The radiative-capture reactions 3He(d, γ), D(d, γ), and 3He(3He, γ) naturally accompanying the burning of the D3He fuel are shown to serve as a convenient diagnostic tool. A nuclear “marker” of D3He fusion on the basis of the detection of monochromatic gamma rays produced in the reaction 9Be(α, γn), which is induced in the liner beryllium shell by energetic fusion alpha particles, is also examined.