Hello again,
This is from: _jpreisig at aol.com_ (mailto:jpreisig at aol.com) .
As far back as 1975 or so, the Migma (self colliding beam of ions)
people were working on
aneutronic fusion reactions, This work generally involved collisions of
ions which were a bit
heavier than deuterium and/or tritium, thus resulting in fusion occuring
without the everpresent
2 to 15 MeV neutrons. These energetic neutrons cause materials damage (in
time) of the fusion
magnets, reaction chamber, etc. The physics literature and perhaps the
internet have more
information on aneutronic reactions.
In deuterium and/or tritium based fusion reactions, 2 to 15 MeV
neutrons are typically
produced, For the purpose of retrieving the neutron energy (for energy
production purposes), one
can surround the fusion reaction region with water and might eventually
produce boiling and/or
pressurized water which would go to a heat exchanger and then would
eventually drive a
turbine. Cool, huh???
For an aneutronic fusion source, I guess one can try to retrieve
energy from the end products of
the reaction process. Easier said then done???? Won't the heavier
reaction products be
contained in the central reaction area, and perhaps these heavy end
products will actually be
consumed by the fusion plasma???? I could see heavy end products at the
outer regions of the plasma, escaping from being consumed by the plasma.
Some end products will end up heating the magnets,
reaction chamber and the like.
Of course, the great Hofmyer (Oz???) has spoken and none of this
fusion stuff will work
at all. Hmmmm.
So, if fusion is a no go, then let's use enriched uranium and/or
plutonium for space flight, and
also try to also use fast neutrons from fission also. Let's get that Fast
Fission Test Reactor
back online, fuel it up, and try to understand fast neutron fission physics
better???!!!!
Once this next shuttle launch is over, we'll be depending on the
Soviets to transport our USA etc.
astronauts to the space station. Oh my!!!!
My guess is that a fusion reactor is working somewhere at a US
military base or on a US
aircraft carrier. Some of the original migma people are sitting on the
deck of the aircraft carrier,
drinking mixed drinks, in their Hawaiian shirts and , in general, they are
smiling a great deal.
Of course, the average US citizen won't be allowed to hear about all this
for another 25
years. Cold war is still going on, right???? You can't spell Enriched
without Enrico!!!!
Stagg Field....UChicago....etc and so on. I doubt the physicists in the
Manhattan project
were prima donnas... most of them knew their stuff.
Regards, Joseph R. (Joe) Preisig, PhD