Ab initio predictions for polarized DT thermonuclear fusion

TL;DR

This paper uses first-principles quantum mechanical calculations to predict how polarization affects deuterium-tritium fusion rates and emission anisotropy, advancing fundamental understanding of fusion processes.

Contribution

It provides the first ab initio predictions of polarization effects in DT fusion using chiral effective field theory and no-core shell model with continuum.

Findings

Predicted enhancement factor of polarized DT fusion rate

Calculated anisotropy of emitted particles

First ab initio prediction of polarization effects in fusion

Abstract

The fusion of deuterium (D) with tritium (T) is the most promising of the reactions that could power the thermonuclear reactors of the future. Already favored for its low activation energy and high yield, it may lead to even more efficient energy generation if obtained in a polarized state, i.e. with the spin of the reactants aligned. While the DT fusion rate has been measured extensively, very little is known of the effects of polarization. Meanwhile, arriving at a fundamental understanding of the fusion process in terms of the laws of quantum mechanics and the underlying theory of the strong force has been a daunting challenge. We use nuclear forces derived from chiral effective field theory and apply the ab initio reaction method known as no-core shell model with continuum to predict, for the first time from first principles, the enhancement factor of the polarized DT fusion rate and anisotropy of the emitted neutron and {\alpha} particle.