https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20135903016
Polarization: A must for fusion
1 Institut de Physique Nucléaire, CNRS/IN2P3 & Université Paris-Sud (UMR-CNRS 8608) Bât. 100, 91406 Orsay Cedex, France
2 Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et des Plasmas, Université Paris-Sud (UMR-CNRS 8578) Bât. 210, 91405 Cedex, France
a e-mail: didelez@ipno.in2p3.fr
Published online: 15 November 2013
The complete polarization of DT fuel would increase the fusion reactivity by 50% in magnetic as well as in inertial confinements. The persistence of polarization in a fusion process could be tested, using a terawatt laser hitting a polarized HD target. The polarized deuterons heated in the plasma induced by the laser can fuse producing a 3He and a neutron in the final state. The angular distribution of the emitted neutrons and the change in the corresponding total Cross Section (CS) can sign the polarization persistence. The polarization of solid H2, D2 or T2 Hydrogen isotopes is very difficult. However, it has been possible to polarize HD, a hetero-molecular form of Hydrogen, by static polarization, at very low temperature and very high field. The radioactivity of DT molecules forbids there high polarization by the static method, therefore one has to develop the Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) by RF transitions. The DNP of HD has been investigated in the past. The magnetic properties of HD and DT molecules are very similar, it is therefore expected that any polarization result obtained with HD could be extrapolated to DT.
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013
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