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

Hora Heinrich, Lalousis, Paraskevas, Giuffrida Lorenzo, Margarone, Daniele, Korn George, Eliezer, Shalom, Miley George H., Moustaizis Stavros, Mourou, Gérard, Barty, Christopher P.J

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Summary

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 surprizingly 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 comptitive costs were concluded.

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