Picosecond-petawatt laser-block ignition of avalanche boron fusion by ultrahigh acceleration and ultrahigh magnetic fields

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that picosecond laser pulses can ignite boron fusion efficiently using ultrahigh acceleration and magnetic fields, offering a clean and potentially cost-effective energy source.

Contribution

It introduces a novel laser-driven ignition method for HB11 fusion using ultrahigh acceleration and magnetic fields, overcoming previous thermal compression challenges.

Findings

Non-thermal plasma block ignition achieves fusion thresholds similar to DT fusion.

Avalanche reactions significantly increase HB11 fusion gains.

Magnetic confinement enhances reaction efficiency and energy output.

Abstract

Fusion energy from reacting hydrogen (protons) with the boron isotope 11 (HB11) resulting in three stable helium nuclei, is without problem of nuclear radiation in contrast to DT fusion. But the HB11 reaction driven by nanosecond laser pulses with thermal compression and ignition by lasers is extremely difficult. This changed radically when irradiation with picosecond laser pulses produces a non-thermal plasma block ignition with ultrahigh acceleration. This uses the nonlinear (ponderomotive) force to surprisingly resulting in same thresholds as DT fusion even under pessimistic assumption of binary reactions. After evaluation of reactions trapped cylindrically by kilotesla magnetic fields and using the measured highly increased HB11 fusion gains for the proof of an avalanche of the three alphas in secondary reactions, possibilities for an absolutely clean energy source at competitive costs were concluded.