Neutron and gamma ray heating in the grazing incident liquid metal mirrors for laser inertial fusion energy power plants

Sahin S., Sahinaslan A.

ANNALS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY, vol.29, no.5, pp.631-638, 2002 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 29 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2002
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/s0306-4549(01)00059-7
  • Journal Name: ANNALS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.631-638
  • Inonu University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

A thin film of liquid metal can serve as final optics of a laser inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. Calculations of pulsed neutron and gamma-ray heating are presented for a grazing incident liquid metal mirror (GILMM) used for robust final optics of a laser IFE power plant. Different liquid films (Li, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ga, Ag, Au, Pb, Bi and Flibe "Li2BeF4") are considered at a distance of 30 in from a nominal 1 GJ fusion source as well as different substrate materials (SS-304 and SiC). The effect of neutron heating both in the liquid metal film as well as in the subsrate material will be by around three to four orders of magnitude lower than the laser heating limit. Hence the nuclear heating will not be a limiting factor for grazing incident liquid metal mirror (GILMM) of a laser IFE power plant. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.