An antiproton‐driven magnetically insulated inertial fusion propulsion system

Abstract

The magnetically Insulated Inertial Confinement Fusion (MICF) reactor, in its initial conception, concepts of a target in the form of a metal shell whose inner surface is coated with a fusion fuel which is ignited by an incident laser beam that enters the pellet through a hole. A very strong magnetic field, generated when the surface is ablated by the incident laser beam, provides thermal insulation of the wall from the hot plasma, and allows the plasma to burn longer thereby generating a larger energy amplification. When ejected through a magnetic nozzle the plasma can provide a very large specific impulse if MICF is utilized as a propulsion device. For application to space travel, however, the mass of the laser and associated power supply may prove to be prohibitively large and another driver should be considered in its place. In this paper we examine the potential use of antimatter annihilation reactions along with a fissionable component to generate the energy needed to initiate the fusion reactions. We find that a modest amount of antiprotons impinging on a tiny fissioning ‘‘spark’’ can ignite the pellet and produce specific impulses in excess a hundred thousand seconds. © 1995 American Institute of Physics