Laser and Particle Beams, Volume. 2022, Issue 3, 9868807(2022)
Laser-Driven Proton-Boron Fusions: Influences of the Boron State
Xiaochuan Ning1, Tianyi Liang1, Dong Wu2, Shujun Liu1, Yangchun Liu1, Tianxing Hu1, Zhengmao Sheng1, Jieru Ren3, Bowen Jiang4, Yongtao Zhao3, Dieter H. H. Hoffmann3, and X.T. He1
Author Affiliations
1Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation Department of Physics Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China2Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas and School of Physics and Astronomy, and Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA) Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China3MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University Xi’an 710049 China4Technische Universität Darmstadt Institut für Kernphysik Schloβgartenstraβe Darmstadt 64289 Germanyshow less
The proton-boron (p B) reaction is regarded as the holy grail of advanced fusion fuels, where the primary reaction produces 3 energetic particles. However, due to the high nuclear bounding energy and bremsstrahlung energy losses, energy gain from the p B fusion is hard to achieve in thermal fusion conditions. Owing to advances in intense laser technology, the p B fusion has drawn renewed attention by using an intense laser-accelerated proton beam to impact a boron-11 target. As one of the most influential works in this field, Labaune et al. first experimentally found that states of boron (solid or plasma) play an important role in the yield of particles. This exciting experimental finding rouses an attempt to measure the nuclear fusion cross section in a plasma environment. However, up to now, there is still no quantitative explanation. Based on large-scale, fully kinetic computer simulations, the inner physical mechanism of yield increment is uncovered, and a quantitative explanation is given. Our results indicate the yield increment is attributed to the reduced energy loss of the protons under the synergetic influences of degeneracy effects and collective electromagnetic effects. Our work may serve as a reference for not only analyzing or improving further experiments of the p B fusion but also investigating other beam-plasma systems, such as ion-driven inertial confinement fusions.
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Xiaochuan Ning, Tianyi Liang, Dong Wu, Shujun Liu, Yangchun Liu, Tianxing Hu, Zhengmao Sheng, Jieru Ren, Bowen Jiang, Yongtao Zhao, Dieter H. H. Hoffmann, X.T. He. Laser-Driven Proton-Boron Fusions: Influences of the Boron State[J]. Laser and Particle Beams, 2022, 2022(3): 9868807
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