The proton-boron fusion reaction has long been seen as the grail of nuclear fusion for the future production of energy for mankind. Indeed the reaction P + B11 --> 3 a + 8.7 MeV has the very attractive characteristics of not involving the production of neutrons, which is instead a secondary product of the Deuterium-Tritium reaction currently studied in main fusion experiments, both related to magnetic confinement (JET, and soon ITER) and to inertial confinement (NIF, LMJ, SG-III) approaches. The absence of produced neutrons in the primary reaction implies that there will be little activation of materials in a potential reactor and hence a very low amount of radioactive waste. Therefore, the pB fusion reaction is very clean and ecologically acceptable.
Unfortunately, the pB reaction requires high temperatures to be thermodynamically triggered in a laboratory plasma, which explains why in the last decades most of the fusion research has focused on the DT reaction.
However, several experiments recently conducted with laser-produced plasmas have revived the topic of pB fusion by showing an increase of 8 orders of magnitudes in alpha production over the last 20 years. Most of these experiments were based on the use of high-energy, high-power laser beams.
In addition due to the direct transfer of energy from the protons to the reaction products, a-particles with higher energies were produced. This opens the possibility of triggering new reactions which require high-energy a-particles, which are useful for the production of radio-isotopes of medical interest.
The purpose of this special issue is to give a stage to novel research and review articles that concentrate on studying the main physical aspects related to proton-boron fusion in laser-plasma interactions and other scenarios. The published manuscripts should be dedicated to advancing future energy production by proton-boron fusion, and the development of alpha-particle sources for various applications, but in particular medical applications.
Potential topics may include:
• Laser-driven, and other designs of proton–boron (pB) fusion experiments
• New concepts of pB fusion for energy production, thermal and non-LTE.
• New concepts of diagnostics for proton-boron fusion experiments.
• Study of avalanche processes, and other collective phenomena in pB fusion.
• Numerical simulations of proton-boron fusion and alpha-particle generation.
• pB fusion in laboratory astrophysics.
• pB fusion in inertial confinement design.
• pB fusion in magnetic confinement design.
• Development of alpha-particle sources
• Using alpha particle sources for the production of radioisotopes for medical applications.
• New laser system concepts for the development of high-intensity alpha-particle sources
• New target designs and production for pB fusion and alpha sources experiments.
The proton-boron fusion reaction has long been seen as the grail of nuclear fusion for the future production of energy for mankind. Indeed the reaction P + B11 --> 3 a + 8.7 MeV has the very attractive characteristics of not involving the production of neutrons, which is instead a secondary product of the Deuterium-Tritium reaction currently studied in main fusion experiments, both related to magnetic confinement (JET, and soon ITER) and to inertial confinement (NIF, LMJ, SG-III) approaches. The absence of produced neutrons in the primary reaction implies that there will be little activation of materials in a potential reactor and hence a very low amount of radioactive waste. Therefore, the pB fusion reaction is very clean and ecologically acceptable.
Unfortunately, the pB reaction requires high temperatures to be thermodynamically triggered in a laboratory plasma, which explains why in the last decades most of the fusion research has focused on the DT reaction.
However, several experiments recently conducted with laser-produced plasmas have revived the topic of pB fusion by showing an increase of 8 orders of magnitudes in alpha production over the last 20 years. Most of these experiments were based on the use of high-energy, high-power laser beams.
In addition due to the direct transfer of energy from the protons to the reaction products, a-particles with higher energies were produced. This opens the possibility of triggering new reactions which require high-energy a-particles, which are useful for the production of radio-isotopes of medical interest.
The purpose of this special issue is to give a stage to novel research and review articles that concentrate on studying the main physical aspects related to proton-boron fusion in laser-plasma interactions and other scenarios. The published manuscripts should be dedicated to advancing future energy production by proton-boron fusion, and the development of alpha-particle sources for various applications, but in particular medical applications.
Potential topics may include:
• Laser-driven, and other designs of proton–boron (pB) fusion experiments
• New concepts of pB fusion for energy production, thermal and non-LTE.
• New concepts of diagnostics for proton-boron fusion experiments.
• Study of avalanche processes, and other collective phenomena in pB fusion.
• Numerical simulations of proton-boron fusion and alpha-particle generation.
• pB fusion in laboratory astrophysics.
• pB fusion in inertial confinement design.
• pB fusion in magnetic confinement design.
• Development of alpha-particle sources
• Using alpha particle sources for the production of radioisotopes for medical applications.
• New laser system concepts for the development of high-intensity alpha-particle sources
• New target designs and production for pB fusion and alpha sources experiments.
