Wave-supported hybrid fast-thermal p-11B fusion

Abstract

The possibility of fusion ignition in proton–Boron11 plasma is strongly enhanced if the energy from the fusion-produced α particles is channeled to fast protons, but in an environment in which most of the protons are thermally distributed. This hybrid of thermonuclear fusion and beam-plasma fusion offers surprisingly large advantages to either purely thermonuclear or purely beam-plasma fusion, neither of which can by themselves significantly exceed the large bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by the proton–Boron11 plasma. The hybrid scheme has the potential to reduce the confinement time of the reactants that is required to achieve ignition by an order of magnitude.