|
 |
|
|
|
|
provided by: United
States Department of Energy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Inertial confinement operates on
the idea of pushing two isotopes, deterium and tritium together using intense
lasers, ion beams, or X-rays. This creates a significant amount of pressure
on the atoms, compressing them to extremely high densities and temperatures,
which allows the fusion to take place in a short amount of time because
of the high density of the plasma (Fusion: Energy Source 1). In the first
instances of the reaction the outer layers of the atom are blasted away,
causing the atom's electrons to be separated from the nucleus and the atom
to become plasma. "The resulting shock waves compress the fuel [atom]
into high-density plasma. The compressed [atom] produces fusion energy until
[it] disassembles, in about a billionth of a second" (Fusion Energy
Science 5).During this process the atoms reach densities higher than |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Provided by: United
States Department of Energy |
|
|
the density at the center of the
sun, and ignite at a temperature of more that 100,000,000 degrees centigrade!
Though "inertial-confinement fusion has made impressive strides in
recent years, the technological problems of delivering huge energies symmetrically
to the target in a short time remain formidable" (Wolfson et al. 1216).
As a result of this, many physicists believe the key to creating a workable
fusion chamber on earth is through magnetic
confinement. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|