Estimation of Total Fusion Reactivity and Contribution from Suprathermal Tail using 3-parameter Dagum Ion Speed Distribution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a 3-parameter Dagum ion speed distribution to account for suprathermal ions, enhancing the accuracy of fusion reactivity estimates in plasma systems.

Contribution

It proposes a novel use of the 3-parameter Dagum distribution to include suprathermal ions in fusion reactivity calculations, improving upon the Maxwellian assumption.

Findings

Suprathermal ions significantly increase fusion reactivity.

The enhancement varies with background plasma temperature.

The model provides a more accurate reactivity estimate.

Abstract

Thermonuclear fusion reactivity is a pivotal quantity in the studies pertaining to fusion energy production, fusion ignition and energy break-even analysis in both inertially and magnetically confined systems. Although nuclear fusion reactivity and thereafter the power density of a magnetic confinement fusion reactor and the fulfillment of the ignition criterion are quantitatively determined by assuming the ion speed distribution to be Maxwellian, a significant population of suprathermal ions,with energy greater than the quasi-Maxwellian background plasma temperature, is generated by the fusion reactions and auxiliary heating in the fusion devices. In the current work 3-parameter Dagum speed distribution has been introduced to include the effect of suprathermal ion population in the calculation of total fusion reactivity. The extent of enhancement in the fusion reactivity, at different back-ground temperatures of the fusion fuel plasma, due to the suprathermal ion population has also been discussed.