Deuterium-tritium pulse propulsion with hydrogen as propellant and the entire space-craft as a gigavolt capacitor for ignition
Abstract
A deuterium-tritium (DT) nuclear pulse propulsion concept for fast interplanetary transport is proposed utilizing almost all the energy for thrust and without the need for a large radiator:
By letting the thermonuclear micro-explosion take place in the center of a liquid hydrogen sphere with the radius of the sphere large enough to slow down and absorb the neutrons of the DT fusion reaction, heating the hydrogen to a fully ionized plasma at a temperature of ∼105 K. By using the entire spacecraft as a magnetically insulated gigavolt capacitor, igniting the DT micro-explosion with an intense GeV ion beam discharging the gigavolt capacitor, possible if the space craft has the topology of a torus.- Publication:
-
Acta Astronautica
- Pub Date:
- August 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.04.004
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1211.5987
- Bibcode:
- 2013AcAau..89..126W
- Keywords:
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- Fusion micro-bomb propulsion;
- Physics - General Physics
- E-Print:
- doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.04.004