Content area
Abstract
High energy density plasma provides new ground for study. The goal of this thesis is to discover various effect of strongly coupled plasma on the fusion reaction rate and to calculate the exact fusion rate with the inclusion of plasma screening and fluctuations. To achieve this goal, we discovered a new physical parameter regime, in which aneutronic fuel burning is feasible. We proposed also a new physical parameter regime in which explosive fission-like fusion chain reactions are possible. We provided another proof that the Salpeter theory, a fusion rate theory in an ideal plasma, is correct, and extend the theory to obtain the second-order-classical and quantum correction. We also calculated the modification of the fusion rate due to the non-locality of the fusing particle in a narrow inhomogeneous region. We derived the current drive efficiency formula in a degenerate plasma which turns out to be involved with many subtle points. We showed that the fluctuating electron screening can enhance the fusion rate in a dense matter fusion. These new discoveries will have applications to high energy density plasma, inertial confinement fusion, and astrophysics.
