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Conical targets and pinch confinement for inertial fusion1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

P.M. Velarde ,
J.M. Martinez-Val ,
S. Eliezer ,
M. Piera  and
L. Chacon
P.M. Velarde
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Fusion, ETSII, Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
J.M. Martinez-Val
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Fusion, ETSII, Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
S. Eliezer
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Fusion, ETSII, Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
M. Piera
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Fusion, ETSII, Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
L. Chacon
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Fusion, ETSII, Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
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Abstract

Conical microducts and minithrottles can be used to accelerate micropellets of fusionable fuel up to very high speeds (∼108 cm/s). The central collision of two pellets flying in opposite directions can produce a hot plasma where fusion reactions are triggered. The main drawback of this scheme is the short confinement time provided by the external guide tube (throttle). To obtain high yield, an extra force of confinement is advisable. In this paper, the performance of fuel implosions within conical targets and the effect of ultrashort magnetic fields and pinch forces are analyzed. Although very high currents are needed to stretch the confinement time, modern technologies based on pulse-power machines and fast discharges induced by ultrashort lasers can provide a solution to this problem.

Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 1996 , pp. 665 - 678
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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