Ideal nuclear fusion in an octahedral spherical hohlraum device

What is it about?

Controlled nuclear fusion energy has been sought for a long time. The National Ignition Facility is the world’s largest laser facility. It aims to achieve controlled fusion via an indirect-drive scheme. In this scheme, lasers are used to generate X-rays. These irradiate and implode the nuclear fuel and release significant fusion energy. This process occurs in a device called a hohlraum. A symmetric spherical radiation drive can enable ideal fusion. But obtaining such drives is challenging. In 2013, Prof. Ke Lan addressed this concern by proposing an octahedral spherical hohlraum. He studied this design in theory and practice. His work has attracted interest in the nuclear fusion community. This work is an extension of the previous study.

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Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This paper explores the generation of highly symmetric radiation drive. The proposed device has an octahedral design. It can generate this radiation at all times. It can generate radiation for all spectra as well. Further, the device does not use symmetry tuning technology. The octahedral hohlraum has high energy efficiency. Prof. Lan presents the design parameters and proof of concept for this design. These features will help achieve predictable and reproducible fusion. Multiple laser schemes can adopt this design. The findings can help create the next generation of laser systems. The physics for ideal fusion has been worked out. But engineering challenges must be overcome to achieve ideal fusion. In this vein, he highlights future tasks for the path forward. KEY TAKEAWAY: These findings predict a new era for controlled nuclear fusion. The proposed design can help develop laser-based fusion energy power plants.