Ignition of a deuterium micro-detonation with a gigavolt super marx generator

TL;DR

This paper proposes using a gigavolt Super Marx Generator to produce an intense proton beam capable of igniting a pure deuterium thermonuclear explosion, potentially enabling fusion without lithium dependence.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a Super Marx Generator for generating gigavolt potentials to initiate pure deuterium fusion explosions, advancing fusion ignition technology.

Findings

Super Marx Generator can reach gigavolt potentials with 100 MJ energy output.

A GeV proton beam can ignite a deuterium thermonuclear detonation wave.

Magnetic confinement allows larger stand-off distances for the target.

Abstract

The Centurion-Halite experiment demonstrated the feasibility of igniting a deuterium-tritium micro-explosion with an energy of not more than a few megajoule, and the Mike test, the feasibility of a pure deuterium explosion with an energy of more than 10^6 megajoule. In both cases the ignition energy was supplied by a fission bomb explosive. While an energy of a few megajoule, to be released in the time required of less than 10^-9 sec, can be supplied by lasers and intense particle beams, this is not enough to ignite a pure deuterium explosion. Because the deuterium-tritium reaction depends on the availability of lithium, the non-fusion ignition of a pure deuterium fusion reaction would be highly desirable. It is shown that this goal can conceivably be reached with a "Super Marx Generator", where a large number of "ordinary" Marx generators charge (magnetically insulated) fast high voltage capacitors of a second stage Marx generator, called a "Super Marx Generator", ultimately reaching gigavolt potentials with an energy output of 100 megajoule. An intense 10^7 Ampere-GeV proton beam drawn from a "Super Marx Generator" can ignite a deuterium thermonuclear detonation wave in a compressed deuterium cylinder, where the strong magnetic field of the proton beam entraps the charged fusion reaction products inside the cylinder. In solving the stand-off problem, the stiffness of a GeV proton beam permits to place the deuterium target at a comparatively large distance from the wall of a cavity confining the deuterium micro-explosion.