Patent Number: 047598948
Section: claims

1. Capillary discharge apparatus, comprising: means for defining a capillary having walls comprising condensed phase thermonuclear fusible material and having a selected diameter D and length L such that L/D is at least 100;  means for creating an electrical current discharge along the axis of the capillary to produce a plasma within the capillary; and  means for actuating the electrical discharge current creating means to create a current discharge with sufficient amplitude and rise time for said selected D and L to cause a core plasma to be formed within the capillary at a temperature of at least 2 million degrees Kelvin and greater.  said capillary defining means comprises means for creating a D ranging from approximately 10 micrometers to approximately 250 micrometers, and an L/D ranging from approximately 100 to approximately 1000;  said current discharge creating means comprises means for creating a current with a current rise time ranging from approximately 10 nanoseconds to approximately 200 nanoseconds, and an amplitude of at least approximately 50 kiloamps; and  said actuating means comprises means for producing a voltage ranging from approximately 10 to approximately 40 kilovolts.  defining a capillary having walls comprising condensed phase thermonuclear fusible material and having a selected diameter D and length L such that L/D is at least 100; and  discharging an electrical pulse through said capillary, along the axis thereof, said pulse having an amplitude and rise time matched to said selected D and L for causing a core plasma to be formed within the capillary reaching a temperature higher than 2 million degrees Kelvin.  means for defining a capillary having walls comprising condensed phase thermonuclear fusible material and a length selected to be at least 100 times its diameter;  means for creating an electrical current discharge along the axis of the capillary to produce a plasma within the capillary; and  means for actuating the electrical discharge current creating means to create a current discharge with sufficient amplitude and rise time for said selected length and diameter to cause a core plasma to be formed within the capillary reaching a maximum temperature T.sub.max, given by the relationship EQU T.sub.max .perspectiveto.(9/8D.sup.1/2) (A.sup.1/2 Z.LAMBDA.L/D).sup.1/2  where D is the diameter of the capillary at the time maximum plasma temperature is reached, L is the length of the capillary and much greater than D, L/D is the aspect ratio of the capillary, A is the atomic weight (weighted average) of the core plasma, Z is the average ionic charge of the core plasma, .LAMBDA. is the Coulomb logarithm with a value of approximately 10, and T.sub.max is greater than 20 million degrees Kelvin.  said means for creating an electrical current discharge comprises means for producing a current I;  said means for actuating the electrical discharge current creating means comprises means for producing a voltage V; and  said capillary defining means comprises means defining a capillary with a diameter D and a length L and with wall material of a density .rho. satisfying the relationship: EQU .rho.(gms/cm.sup.3)&gt;1.3V.sup.2 (volts) A.sup.2 /10.sup.10 T.sub.max.sup.2 (ev)D.sup.2 (cm),  and wherein:  defining a capillary having walls comprising condensed phase thermonuclear fusible material and having a selected diameter D and length L such that L/D is at least 100; and creating an electrical current discharge along the axis of the capillary having sufficient amplitude and rise time for said selected D and L for causing a core plasma to be formed within the capillary at a temperature T.sub.max of at least 10 million degrees Kelvin and above, wherein EQU T.sub.max .perspectiveto.(9/8 D.sup.1/2)(A.sup.1/2 Z.LAMBDA.L/D).sup.1/2  the minimum voltage V producing the discharge and maintained during the discharge is given by the relationship EQU .eta..UPSILON..perspectiveto.2.times.10.sup.7 V.sup.2 A/Z.LAMBDA.(T.sub.max).sup.1/2  where .eta..UPSILON. is the density-time product in particle-seconds/cm.sup.3 having a value of at least 10.sup.14, and V is in volts; and  the discharge current has a rise time dI/dt.perspectiveto.10.sup.9 V(volts)/3L(cm) in amperes/sec., and an amplitude I given by the relationship EQU I=(.pi./4) (V/L) D.sup.2 .sigma.  where .sigma. is the conductivity of the plasma and given by the relationship EQU .sigma..perspectiveto.1.sup. 2(T.sub.max).sup.3/2 /Z .LAMBDA..  means for defining a capillary having walls comprising condensed phase thermonuclear fusible material and having a selected diameter D and length L such that L/D is at least 100; and  means for creating an electrical current discharge along the axis of the capillary having sufficient amplitude and rise time for said selected D and L to cause a core plasma to be formed within the capillary at a temperature T.sub.max of at least 10 million degrees Kelvin, and above, wherein: EQU T.sub.max .perspectiveto.(9/8 D.sup.1/2)(A.sup.1/2 Z.LAMBDA.L/D).sup.1/2  where D is the diameter of the capillary at the time maximum plasma temperature is reached, L is the length of the capillary and much greater than D, L/D is the aspect ratio of the capillary, A is the atomic weight (weighted average) of the core plasma, Z is the average ionic charge of the core plasma, .LAMBDA. is the Coulomb logarithm with a value of approximately 10; and  said discharge creating means comprises:  means for producing a minimum voltage V to be maintained during the discharge and given by the relationship: EQU .eta..UPSILON..perspectiveto.2.times.10.sup.7 V.sup.2 A/Z.LAMBDA.(T.sub.max).sup.1/2  where .eta..UPSILON. is the density-time product in particle-seconds/cm.sup.3 having a value of at least 10.sup.14, and V is in volts; means for creating a current with an amplitude I given by the relationship: EQU I=(.pi./4)(V/L)D.sup.2 .sigma.  where .sigma. is the conductivity of the plasma and given by the relationship EQU .sigma..perspectiveto.10.sup.2 (T.sub.max).sup.3/2 /Z .LAMBDA.  and  means for creating a current with a rise time dI/dt.perspectiveto.10.sup.9 V(volts)/3L(cm) in amperes/sec. 2. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the thermonuclear fusible material comprises deuterium. 3. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the thermonuclear fusible material comprises tritium. 4. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the capillary has solid phase walls. 5. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the capillary has liquid phase walls. 6. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said capillary defining means includes the electrical discharge current. 7. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for creating electrical discharge current comprises means for producing a laser pulse. 8. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for creating the electrical discharge current comprises means for creating gas bubbles in said defining means. 9. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for creating the electrical discharge current comprises two conductive plates respectively disposed at opposite ends of said capillary, and said actuating means comprises means for storing electrical energy between said two conductive plates and intiating a discharge directly from one plate to the other. 10. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said actuating means comprises means for causing the discharge to occur at a central region of the plate. 11. Capillary discharge apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein: 12. A method of generating a transient temperature higher than 2 million degrees Kelvin, comprising the steps of: 13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein said selected D and L and said pulse amplitude and rise time are matched such that a plasma is formed by the electrical pulse discharge with a temperature reaching at least 60 million degrees Kelvin and with a density-time product of at least 10.sup.14 particle-seconds/cm.sup.3. 14. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein D ranges from approximately 10 micrometers to approximately 250 micrometers, L/D ranges from approximately 100 to approximately 1000, current rise time ranges from approximately 10 nanoseconds to approximately 200 nanoseconds, the current amplitude is at least approximately 50 kiloamps and the actuating voltage ranges from approximately 10 to approximately 40 kilovolts. 15. Apparatus for producing a controlled thermonuclear fusion reaction comprising: 16. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said actuating means comprises means for producing a minimum voltage V to be maintained during the discharge and given by the relationship EQU .eta..UPSILON..perspectiveto.2.times.10.sup.7 V.sup.2 A/Z.LAMBDA.(T.sub.max).sup.1/2 17. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein V ranges from approximately 10 kilovolts to approximately 40 kilovolts. 18. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said current discharge creating means comprises means for creating a current with an amplitude I given by the relationship EQU I=(.pi./4) (V/L)D.sup.2 .sigma. 19. Apparatus as in claim 18 wherein I.gtoreq.50 kiloamps. 20. Apparatus as in claim 18 wherein said current discharge creating means comprises means for creating a current with a rise time dI/dt.perspectiveto.10.sup.9 V(volts)/3L(cm) in amperes/sec. 21. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein: 22. Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said means for creating an electrical current discharge comprises means for producing a current pulse with a duration lasting at least 300 (A/T.sub.max).sup.1/2 nanoseconds. 23. Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein the pulse duration is approximately 1000 nanoseconds. 24. Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said thermonuclear fusible material is such as to result in a deuterium-tritium core plasma and V=40,000 volts. I=88,000 amperes, L=1.54 centimeters, D=11 .mu.m, the current rise time=10.sup.-8 sec. and the pulse duration=10.sup.-8. 25. Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein V=12,500 volts, I=74,000 amperes, L=1.5 centimeters, E=67 .mu.m, the current rise time=2.7.times.10.sup.-8 and the pulse duration=10.sup.-8. 26. Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein V=130,000 volts, I=280,000 amperes, D=35 .mu.m, L=15.4 centimeters, the current rise time=10.sup.-7 seconds, and the pulse duration is 10.sup.-7 seconds. 27. Method for producing a plasma with a temperature of at least 10 million degrees Kelvin and above, comprising the steps of: where D is the diameter of the capillary at the time maximum plasma temperature is reached, L is the length of the capillary and much greater than D, L/D is the aspect ratio of the capillary, A is the atomic weight (weighted average) of the core plasma, Z is the average ionic charge of the core plasma, .LAMBDA. is the Coulomb logarithm with a value of approximately 10; 28. Method as in claim 27 wherein said capillary is defined with a diameter D and a length L and with wall material of a density .sigma. satisfying the relationship: EQU .rho.(gms/cm.sup.3)&gt;1.3V.sup.2 (volts)A.sup.2 /10.sup.10 T.sub.max.sup.2 (ev)D.sup.2 (cm). 29. Method as in claim 28 wherein said electrical current discharge comprises a current pulse with a duration lasting at least 300 (A/T.sub.max).sup.1/2 nanoseconds. 30. System for producing a plasma with a temperature of at least 10 million degrees Kelvin and above, comprising: 31. System as in claim 30 wherein said capillary defining means comprises means defining a capillary with a diameter D and a length L and with wall material of a density .rho. satisfying the relationship: EQU .rho.(gms/cm.sup.3)&gt;1.3 V.sup.2 (volts)A.sup.2 /10.sup.10 T.sub.max.sup.2 (ev)D.sup.2 (cm), 32. System as in claim 31 wherein said means for creating an electrical current discharge comprises means for producing a current pulse with a duration lasting at least 300 (A/T.sub.max).sup.1/2 nanoseconds.