Ignition and Burn Properties of DT/D3He Fuel for Fast-Ignition Inertial Confinement Fusion

• Published in: Fusion science and technology Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 401 - 404
• Main Authors: Nakao, Y., Katsube, M., Ohmura, T., Saito, Y., Johzaki, T., Mima, K.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: La Grange Park, II Taylor & Francis 01.07.2009; American Nuclear Society
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Fast ignition of compressed fusion fuels; Laser inertial confinement; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Fusion reactor ignition; Thermonuclear ignition; Fast ignition; Inertial confinement fusion; Elastic scattering; Driver circuits
• ISSN: 1536-1055; 1943-7641
• DOI: 10.13182/FST09-A8934

The possibility of igniting D 3 He plasma in the fast-ignition, inertial confinement fusion scheme is discussed. Use of a small amount of DT fuel as an igniter is indispensable in order to mitigate the requirement on driver energy. Simulations have been made for a DT/D 3 He fuel compressed to 2000 ˜ 4000 times the liquid density. The DT igniter is placed at the edge of the compressed fuel. The work shows that it is possible to obtain sufficient pellet gains (≥100) with realistic driver energy below 10 MJ. The essential roles of DT fusion neutron and nuclear elastic scattering are clarified. The possibility to reduce the amount of DT fuel is discussed.