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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:37 am
by Giorgio

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:09 pm
by KitemanSA
If
p + Li > ³He + He:
shouldn't
p + Li > 2 x He ?
what is the cross section for that?

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:40 pm
by Giorgio
KitemanSA wrote:If
p + Li > ³He + He:
shouldn't
p + Li > 2 x He ?
what is the cross section for that?
If I remember correctly only a small percentage of p+7Li --> 2 x 4He.
Most of it will become 7Be + n.
In that case you will have side reactions n +7Li --> T + 4He + n

I think this is the reason why p + 7Li is not considered.

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:05 pm
by Giorgio
KitemanSA wrote:If
p + Li > ³He + He:
shouldn't
p + Li > 2 x He ?
what is the cross section for that?
Check the section "Neutron blanket reactions":
http://www.kayelaby.npl.co.uk/atomic_an ... 4_7_4.html

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:27 pm
by Giorgio
Colonel_Korg wrote:Thanks for the replies. But I still did not see the Li6+Li6 -> 3 He4 cross-section graph.
It's a composed reaction:
p+6Li --> Alpha + 3He
p+6Li --> Alpha + 3He
3He+3He--> Alpha + 2p

Hence 6Li + 6Li --> 3Alpha
Colonel_Korg wrote:Example: The peak of p+B11 is 550kV, but someone once told me that because B11 has 5 protons (charge of +5) then the voltage of 110kV is equivalent to the 550kV of kinetic energy. True or false?
True, the charge of 11B is 5, hence if you accellerate 11B to 110KeV its KE will be 110 *5=550 KeV

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:40 pm
by chrismb
Giorgio wrote:True, the charge of 11B is 5, hence if you accellerate 11B to 110KeV its KE will be 110 *5=550 KeV
Depends on what frame it's KE is significant.

e.g.; if a [lab-frame] 550keV 11B comes across a [lab-frame] stationary proton, the collision energy would be 45keV.

Homework for Korg; if a [lab-frame] 550keV 11B comes into collision with a [lab-frame] 110keV proton, what is the collision energy?

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:29 pm
by chrismb
Colonel_Korg wrote:Since a 550kV B11 colliding with a stationary proton is 45kV and a non stationary proton is moving at 110kV? then it would be 45kV + 110kV ?
Nice try. This is simple kinetics, easily looked up.... homework!

As for 6Li+6Li - which isn't easy to look up - the only reaction that comes up on the "National Nuclear Data Center" [sic!] database is 6Li+6Li->n+a+7Be, and no cross-sections are indicated for that reaction below ~1.5MeV, peak around 0.2 barn @ 6MeV. Not 'aneutronic' and not accessible as a fusion fuel, it seems.

If you're looking to determine the "best" aneutronic fuel, see what you think of p+15N. I gave an account of it in viewtopic.php?t=2808 (before it got dragged into some obscure pedantry).

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:35 am
by KitemanSA
Several decades ago the "Migma" reactor proposed a 3p + 2(6Li) > 3(4He) +3p reaction. Wonder what ever happened to that. I liked it cuz it was a di-lithium reaction! :D

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:16 am
by Giorgio
chrismb wrote:As for 6Li+6Li - which isn't easy to look up - the only reaction that comes up on the "National Nuclear Data Center" [sic!] database is 6Li+6Li->n+a+7Be, and no cross-sections are indicated for that reaction below ~1.5MeV, peak around 0.2 barn @ 6MeV. Not 'aneutronic' and not accessible as a fusion fuel, it seems.
The only potential aneutronic possibility for 6Li fusion looks like it is via a proton middlestep to 3He as I indicated above.
chrismb wrote:If you're looking to determine the "best" aneutronic fuel, see what you think of p+15N. I gave an account of it in viewtopic.php?t=2808 (before it got dragged into some obscure pedantry).
That was an interesting thread, yet also on p+15N there is the shadow of potentially high bremsstrahlung losses.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:27 am
by chrismb
Giorgio wrote: yet also on p+15N there is the shadow of potentially high bremsstrahlung losses.
Not just possible, I'd say certainly! You have to keep the 15N 'cool', along with their electrons, and let the protons do all the colliding. Non-Maxwellian and mitigations against thermalisation are therefore essential - a particular requirement for any fusion with Z>1 reactants.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:48 pm
by D Tibbets
chrismb wrote:
Giorgio wrote: yet also on p+15N there is the shadow of potentially high bremsstrahlung losses.
Not just possible, I'd say certainly! You have to keep the 15N 'cool', along with their electrons, and let the protons do all the colliding. Non-Maxwellian and mitigations against thermalisation are therefore essential - a particular requirement for any fusion with Z>1 reactants.
Unless you cheat with quantum effects like DPF by LPP proposes. And, I don't think you need to keep the ions cool, only the relevent electrons (thus the cool central core electrons claimed for the Polywell)

Dan Tibbets