[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 8, 1205020 (2013)

Rapid Communications


Target Injection and Engagement for Neutron Generation at 1 Hz
Osamu KOMEDA, Yasuhiko NISHIMURA1), Yoshitaka MORI, Ryohei HANAYAMA, Katsuhiro ISHII, Shinichiro OKIHARA, Kazuhisa FUJITA, Yoneyoshi KITAGAWA, Takashi SEKINE2), Nakahiro SATO2), Takashi KURITA2), Toshiyuki KAWASHIMA2), Takeshi WATARI2), Hirofumi KAN2), Naoki NAKAMURA3), Takuya KONDO3), Manabu FUJINE3), Hirozumi AZUMA4), Tomoyoshi MOTOHIRO4), Tatsumi HIOKI4), Mitsutaka KAKENO4), Atsushi SUNAHARA5), Yasuhiko SENTOKU6) and Eisuke MIURA7)
The Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, 1955-1 Kurematsu-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-1202, Japan
1)
Toyota Technical Development Corp., 1-21 Imae, Hanamoto-cho, Toyota 470-0334, Japan
2)
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. 1820 Kurematsu-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-1202, Japan
3)
TOYOTA Motor Corporation, 1200 Mishuku, Susono 410-1193, Japan
4)
TOYOTA Central Research and Development Laboratories, 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute 480-1192, Japan
5)
Institute for Laser Technology, 1-8-4 Utsubo-honmachi, Nishi-ku 550-0004, Japan
6)
Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
7)
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
(Received 12 November 2012 / Accepted 4 December 2012 / Published 27 March 2013)

Abstract

Target injection is a key technology to realizing inertial fusion energy. Here we present the first demonstration of target injection and neutron generation. We injected more than 600 spherical deuterated polystyrene (C8D8) bead targets during 10 minutes at 1 Hz. After the targets fell for a distance of 18 cm, we applied the synchronized laser-diode-pumped ultra-intense laser HAMA and successfully generated neutrons repeatedly. The result is a step toward fusion power and also suggests possible industrial neutron sources.


Keywords

target injection, deuterated polystyrene, laser-diode-pumped laser, DD fusion, neutron source

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.8.1205020


References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Osamu KOMEDA, Yasuhiko NISHIMURA, Yoshitaka MORI, Ryohei HANAYAMA, Katsuhiro ISHII, Shinichiro OKIHARA, Kazuhisa FUJITA, Yoneyoshi KITAGAWA, Takashi SEKINE, Nakahiro SATO, Takashi KURITA, Toshiyuki KAWASHIMA, Takeshi WATARI, Hirofumi KAN, Naoki NAKAMURA, Takuya KONDO, Manabu FUJINE, Hirozumi AZUMA, Tomoyoshi MOTOHIRO, Tatsumi HIOKI, Mitsutaka KAKENO, Atsushi SUNAHARA, Yasuhiko SENTOKU and Eisuke MIURA, Plasma Fusion Res. 8, 1205020 (2013).