Laser in Fusion

Department of Electronics of TEI of Crete

Dr Petridis Kostantinos
Lecturer
Optoelectronics, Laser and Plasma Technologies Group

Nuclear Fusion
Since we have tried any energy source in our planet, and since we have burn all the
found coal quantities, we have reached the minimum of our energy resources. At the
same time we have polluted our environment so much. Now we turn our attention to
the stars energy!!

Fusion can give us the energy equivalent of oceans of oil

Fusion

Fusion
Through fusion we get:
() Environmental friendly energy
(b) High efficiency source:
The reaction of deuterium with tritium is
characterized from a very high efficiency of
transformation of mass to energy.
(c) Covers the energy needs of our planet.
Advantages of laser fusion:
(a) There is no production of CO2
(b) Minimum radioactive products
(c) The fusion fuel exist in vast quantities in sea
water and underground.
(d) Each reaction does not demand vast quantities
of fuel.

Nuclear Fusion
Historical Review

1905: Einstein introduced the famous equation

E = mc 2

1920: Francis William Aston discovered the 4 hydrogen isotopes

1920: Arthur Eddington suggested that the Sun produces energy by transforming the
hydrogen nucleus into Helium nucleus accompanied with instantaneous
emission of energy
1939: Hans Bethe introduced the theory concerning the energy production in stars.
(Nobel prize 1968).
1930s: The first experiments concerning nuclear fusion took part in Cavendish
laboratories in Cambridge University.
1950s: Nuclear fusion experiments in Harwell (UK).

Laser in fusion
What is the nuclear fusion?
The nuclear fusion is the joining together two lighter nuclei in order to generate a
a heavier one.
During this procedure we have the emission or the absorption of energy.
The joining of two nuclei with total mass smaller than the iron nucleus leads to
emission of energy whereas the joining of two nuclei with total mass bigger
than this of iron leads to absorption of energy.
The simplest example of fusion: The fusion between deuterium (2 1
proton and 1 neutron ) and tritium (3 1 proton 2 neutrons) that generates
Helium 4 and neutrons particles (total emitted energy equal to 17.6 eV of
energy).

Laser in fusion
What is nuclear fusion?
The nucleus energy is getting higher as bigger the
nucleus is. The maximum value that tales is that of
iron and nickel. From this point the nucleus energy is
getting smaller as the nucleons number increases.
In order the Coulomb repulsion force to be overcome we need energy of the order of 0.01
MeV. During the fusion reaction among Deuterium and Tritium the energy that is
Released is of the order of 17.6 MeV.

Laser in Fusion
What is nuclear fusion?

Laser in Fusion
What is nuclear fusion?

Laser in fusion
What is nuclear fusion;
The nuclear fusion is a reaction that takes place in stars of our universe.
In 1940 the Manhattan project it was the first attempt to apply nuclear
fusion for military purposes. The attempt to apply the nuclear fusion for
peaceful purposes started in 1950s

Laser in Fusion
What is nuclear fusion;
In order a nuclear fusion to take place the isotopes nuclei should be brought
very close each other. Thats how the Coulomb repulsive forces are going to
be overcome.
The non-controlled nuclear fusion leads to nuclear explosions.
Application of this is the nuclear bomb.

Laser in fusion
What is nuclear fusion?
The controlled nuclear fusion has a target to produce electrical current and
thats why 50 years now there is an intense research activity in this field.
In Tokamak reactors we use magnetic fields in order to bring the nuclei
close enough to initiate the nuclear fusion among the isotopes. Using this
technology it has been achieved the production of energy 10 times more
than the energy that is required to to trigger the fusion reaction.
The initial heating (10 keV) of the isotopes is necessary in order to overcome
the Coulomb repulsion.

1 eV = 11,604 K

Laser in fusion
What is nuclear fusion?

The rate f at which the fusion reactions take place depends on the average value of
their cross section times the reactants (hydrogen isotopes) velocity times the
reactants density n1 & n2 . Thus:

f = n1n2
The multiplication of the cross section of the reactants times their velocity increases
as the temperature elevates.
Lawson criterion: The longer the time that the reactants are kept close enough and at
the same time the higher their concentration is, the higher the rate of fusion reaction
is. In order a nuclear fusion to take place the above mentioned product should satisfy
the following condition:

n = 1014 1015 sec/ cm3

Lasers in fusion
What is nuclear fusion?
In order to satisfy the Lawson criterion some temporal confinement
techniques should be applied in order to keep the reactants within
the smallest available volume.
The temporal confinement techniques are the following:
(a) Gravitational confinement: Takes place in the interior of stars.
(b) Magnetic confinement: Tokamak reactors (n = 1014 cm-3, = 1
sec)
(c) Inertial confinement: A pulse of a laser illuminates the fuel and
causes its temperature to elevate under high pressure conditions.
The reactants concentrations are so high that fusion reaction takes
place.. (n = 1025 cm-3, = 10-10 sec)

Lasers in fusion
What is nuclear fusion?

Laser in Fusion
The use of lasers in fusion is directly related to inertial confinement scheme.
The pressure that are developed is of the order of 1012 Atm and the
temperatures that can be reached is of the order of 100 million Kelvins.
The big target is: The creation of an unlimited energy source.
The fuel (mixture of deuterium and tritium) is placed within a capsule of a
pill size.
The inertial confinement demands the symmetrical illumination of the
target. This reduces the energy required for fusion by a factor of 1000.
The nuclear fusion that involves deuterium and tritium is preferable since it
has the lowest threshold.

Laser in Fusion
Fusion Reactions

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Laser in Fusion

The fuel implosion efficiency is close to 10 15%.

During the last phase of implosion the acquired pressure is of the order of
200 Gbars

The important parameters during the implosion phase are:

(a) The ratio R / R where R is the pellet radius and R is its
thickness. Hydrodynamic instabilities set a limit to the above
ratio. The ratio value is related with the minimum pressure that is
required in order the fusion reaction to take place. Typical values are
located between 25 up to 35. These ratio values correspond to pressures
equal to 100 Mbars and laser intensities of 1018 W / cm2

Lasers in fusion
(b) The convergence ratio defines the ratio of the initial radius RA to
the final radius rHS. Typical values for nuclear fusion to take place is
of the order of 30 40.
The energy that is released during the nuclear fusion can be
estimated using the following relationship:

EF = f M
where f is the energy per unit mass that is emitted, is the reaction
efficiency and is the exploded mass.
Nuclear fusion will take place when:

n > 1.7 1014 sec/ cm3

 Laser
The combination of the confinement and the mass explosion can further
increase the exerted pressure to the fuel from 108 Atm to 1012 Atm.
In order fusion to take part the target fuel should be illuminated uniformly
spatially and temporally.

Laser in fusion

Target of the nuclear fusion that uses inertial confinement is:

() Generation of temperatures in the target area of the order of > 5 keV
(b) The product of density to final radius to be > 0.3 g cm-2.
(c) The generated Helium nuclei through collisions accelerate
Deuterium and Tritium and the whole procedure goes on.

Through the Lawson criterion is valid that is equivalent to have a high density
of reactants for a short time confined with the situation to have a low density
reactants for a long time under confinement.

In the case of laser fusion is attempted the greatest density of reactants. Their
confinement time is related to their inertial.

Laser in fusion
In the case of laser fusion with inertial confinement the following things are
valid:
(a) Minimum fuel mass ( deuterium and tritium ) ~ -2 (: density)
(b) Minimum energy of ignition ~ P-2 (P: pressure)
Requirements:
(a) Few tens of MJ of laser energy to illuminate the target within 10 ns.
(b) The density of fuels should be of the order of 30 g cm-3, the exerted
pressure of the order of 120 Gbar, and the fuel mass equals to 1.3 10-4 g
in the ignition point.
(d) Symmetrical illumination of the target.
The efficiency of the reaction is almost 100.

Laser in fusion
() The laser light illuminates the target.
(b) The laser radiation exert a pressure to the fuel target. As
a consequence the target is compressed and at the same
time plasma is created around the target.
(c) The radiation pressure is a function of the laser
radiation intensity and on laser wavelength.
(d) The velocity with which the target is confined is:

Vimplosion = Pa r

(e) The target is confined up to the point where the exerted

pressure takes the value:

r
Pimplosion = Pablation G
r

Lasers in fusion
(f) The pressure during the confinement has an initial value of the order of 30
Mbar and just before the implosion of the fuel reaches a value of the order of
100 Gbar.
(g) Typical dimensions of the fuel pellet :
(i) Initially: radius 3 mm, thickness 0.5 mm
(ii) finally: radius 0.1 mm (confinement ratio 30:1)
Theoretical calculations has shown us that the released energy during nuclear
fusion depends on the final pellet radius and the final value of the exerted
pressure. The greater the final pressure is the lower the energy that the fusion
reaction starts.
The requirements from the laser source are:
(a) Symmetrical illumination of the target.
(b) Laser intensity of 1015 W / cm2 emitted in ultraviolet region.
(c) Use of many laser beams (~ 50).

Lasers in fusion

Lasers in fusion

Lasers in fusion
There are three different architectures schemes in order to trigger laser fusion:
() Direct Drive

() Fast Ignition

() Indirect Drive

Lasers in fusion

The direct drive scheme (a) is the simplest one. The target is illuminated
symmetrically by hundreds laser beams. This technique is characterized by high gain
but also from strong hydrodynamic instabilities that probably will obstruct the
achievement of the desired fuel densities in order the fusion to take place.

The laser beam should deliver its energy to the deuterium and tritium. This means that
should penetrate through the generated plasma.

Laser light can penetrate electron densities smaller than a critical value that is:
21
1.1

10
nc (cm3 ) = 2
( m )

The laser light has in the majority of cases a wavelength equal to 0.35 m.

Laser in fusion
Fast Ignition Scheme

This technique is less demanded. The compression and the

heating of the target are two independent processes.

The process of compression is similar to direct drive set up.

The difference is that in fast ignition scheme less of lower
power laser beams are used.

As the target has compressed towards the density that fusion

is ready to take place a 2nd petawatt laser beam (pulse
duration 10-8 sec) is focused into the plasma and within 10-11
sec are achieved temperatures (high energy electrons are
accelerated and collide with the deuterium and tritium) and
the nuclear fusion starts.

This scheme is characterized by the less energy that is

needed in order nuclear fusion to start.

HiPER, OMEGA, FIREX use this scheme

Lasers in fusion

Fast Ignition Scheme

 Laser
Fast Ignition Scheme

Lasers in fusion
Fast Ignition Scheme

Lasers in fusion
The HiPER project

High Power laser Energy

Research
200 kJ long pulse & 70 kJ short
pulse laser beams (CPA lasers)
Objectives:
() Clean energy source
(b) Unlimited energy source
(c) Capability to perform a
high quality research:
Budget : 800
euros Complement by 2020

 Laser
HiPER
The laser that HiPER is going to be used is the PTAL and is located in
France.
PETAL: PETawatt Aquitaine Laser (3.5 kJ, pulse duration 0.5 5 ps).

 Laser
HiPER

Lasers in fusion

The OMEGA EP project

Location: Rochester, USA.
Fast ignition scheme.
Start date: 1995
60 laser beams are going to deliver
40000 Joules to a focus point of 1 mm
diameter. This energy is going to be
delivered within 1 ns.

Lasers in fusion
The FIREX project

Location: Osaka, Japan

Fast Ignition Scheme
Establishment date: 2003

Lasers in fusion
Indirect Drive Scheme

The technique for laser fusion with the greatest

potential is the indirect drive.

This set up will use two of the biggest facilities in

the world: (a) National Ignition Facility (NIF)
(USA) (3.5 billions of dollars investment, 1.8
millions of Joules energy).
(b) Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) (France)

The basic principles of the indirect drive are the

same with that one of direct drive one. The only
difference is that the fuel is contained in a golden
made cylinder.

The compression of the target is made by the

rays that are generated (efficiency of 70 80%)
internally to the cylinder through cylinder
illumination by laser beams

Lasers in fusion
Indirect drive scheme

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Fast Ignition Scheme with proton particles

Lasers in fusion
Fast Ignition Scheme with proton particles

The indirect drive technique is not using the laser beams to trigger
the laser fusion.
We can use charged particles such as protons to suppress the target.
Advantages:
(a) Steady propagation through the generated plasma.
(b) High efficiency
Disadvantages: The intensity of the protons beam (beam diameter,
pulse duration).
This technique can be used in direct and indirect setup.

Lasers in fusion
References

Lasers generate plasma power, Mike Key, Physics World August 1991,
pp 52 56
Laser Compression of Matter to Super High Densities: Thermonuclear Applications,
John Nuckolls et.al., Nature Vol. 239, September 15, 1972,
pp 139 142.
Incoherent light on the road to ignition, C. Labaune, Nature Vol.3, October 2007, pp
680 682.
http://www.hiper-laser.org/
/ Science 24 2007
C Horizon
http://www.lle.rochester.edu
https://lasers.llnl.gov
http://en.wikipedia.org
A high power laser fusion facility for Europe, M. Dunne, Nature Physics, Vol.2,
January 2006, pp 2 5.
Fast heating of ultrahigh-density plasma as a step towards laser fusion ignition,
Kodama etal, Nature Vol. 412, 23 August 2001, pp 798-801
Fast heating scalable to laser fusion ignition, Kodama etal, Nature, Vol. 418, August
2002, pp 933 - 934

Lasers in fusion
References
Fast track to fusion energy, M. Key, Nature Vol. 412, 23 August 2001, pp
775 776.
For Nuclear Fusion, Could Two Lasers Be Better Than One?, M. Schirber,
Science Vol. 310, pp1610-11.
Laser facility flickers into life, E. Hand, Nature Vol. 457, 29 January 2009,
pp. 517
A new age for science?, A. Jenkins, Nature Photonics Vol. 2, January 2008,
pp. 3 5.
Fast Ignition by Intense Laser Accelerated Proton Beams, Roth etal.,
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 86, Number 3, 15 January 2001, pp 436 439.
Extreme Light, Gerstner, Nature Vol. 446, 1 March 2007, pp 16 18.
NIF wakes up, Nature Photonics, Vol. 3, April 2009, pp 177.
, 12 2009, . 26