Super Marx Generator for Thermonuclear Ignition

TL;DR

This paper proposes a super Marx generator design capable of generating gigavolt voltages and gigaampere currents, enabling thermonuclear ignition through high-energy proton beams in inertial confinement fusion.

Contribution

It introduces a novel super Marx generator configuration that adds voltages rapidly, facilitating the creation of ultra-high voltage and current pulses for fusion applications.

Findings

Design achieves 10^9 Volt and 10^7 Ampere pulses.

Potential to generate 10^16 Watt proton beams.

Enables thermonuclear micro-detonation in deuterium.

Abstract

In ongoing electric pulse power driven inertial confinement fusion experiments, Marx generators are connected in parallel with the target in the center of a ring of the Marx generators. There the currents, not the voltages add up. Instead of connecting a bank of Marx generator in parallel, one may connect them in series, adding up their voltages, not the currents. If, for example, fifty 20 MV Marx generators are connected in series, they would add up to a gigavolt. But to prevent breakdown, the adding up of the voltages in such a super-Marx generator must be fast. For this reason, it is proposed that each of the Marx generators charges up a fast discharge capacitor, with the thusly charged fast capacitors becoming the elements of a second stage super Marx generator. In a super Marx generator, the Marx generators also assume the role of the resistors in the original Marx circuit. With a voltage of 10^9 Volt and a discharge current of 10^7 Ampere, the generation of a 10^16 Watt GeV proton beam becomes possible, which can ignite in liquid deuterium a thermonuclear micro-detonation.