Theoretical Study of the D-T Fuel Burning Rate in Z-Pinch Facilities with Magneto-Inertial Confinement

Abstract

This paper focuses on the theoretical study of the burning rate of D-T fuel in Z-pinch devices with magneto-inertial confinement. The investigated nuclear fusion process involved fast laser ignition of a mixed D-T fuel contained in a capsule at a temperature of 10 keV, influenced by a strong electromagnetic field. The D-T, D-D, D-3He, 3He-3He, and T-T fusion reactions were employed in the calculations. Based on modern experimental fit data of nuclear fusion reaction rates, the particle and energy balance equations, along with their numerical solutions, were considered, utilizing the ion densities of charged particles such as protons, deuterium, tritium, 3He, and 4He ions. The plasma was in a hot, ultra-dense state, under the quasi-neutrality condition, with initial deuterium and tritium densities of 5×1023 cm−3 and an electron density of 10×1023 cm−3. The ion and electron temperatures were considered equal in this paper. The time dependencies of the ion densities, plasma temperature, energy yield from charged ions and neutrons, fusion power density, and bremsstrahlung radiation loss were investigated.