Wave-Supported Hybrid Fast-Thermal p-$^{11}$B Fusion

Abstract

The possibility of fusion ignition in proton-Boron$^{11}$ plasma is strongly enhanced if the energy from the fusion-produced $\alpha$ particles is channeled to fast protons, but in an environment in which most of the protons are thermally distributed. This hybrid of thermonuclear fusion and beam-plasma fusion offers surprisingly large advantages to either purely thermonuclear or purely beam-plasma fusion, neither of which can by themselves significantly exceed the large bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by the proton-Boron$^{11}$ plasma. The hybrid scheme has the potential to reduce the confinement time of the reactants that is required to achieve ignition by an order of magnitude.