arXiv subjects

F. Winterberg

Publications and source records attributed to F. Winterberg.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2010

Shear Flow Stabilization of a z-Pinch Plasma in the Presence of a Radial Temperature Gradient

The previous study regarding the stabilization of a magnetized constant temperature plasma by shear flow with vorticity is extended to a plasma of non-constant temperature, where in the presence of heat source or sinks the thermomagnetic Nernst effect becomes important. Of special interest is what this effect has on the stabilization of a linear z-pinch discharge for which exact solutions are given. Solutions which are unstable for subsonic shear flow become stable if the flow is supersonic.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2010

Ultradense Deuterium

An attempt is made to explain the recently reported occurrence of ultradense deuterium as an isothermal transition of Rydberg matter into a high density phase by quantum mechanical exchange forces. It is conjectured that the transition is made possible by the formation of vortices in a Cooper pair electron fluid, separating the electrons from the deuterons, with the deuterons undergoing Bose-Einstein condensation in the core of the vortices. If such a state of deuterium should exist at the reported density of about 100,000 g/cm3, it would greatly facility the ignition of a thermonuclear detonation wave in pure deuterium, by placing the deuterium in a thin disc, to be ignited by a pulsed ultrafast laser or particle beam of modest energy.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2009

On shear flow stabilization concepts for the dense z pinch

Different ways to achieve the stabilization of a linear z-pinch by a superimposed shear flow are analyzed. They are: 1) Axial shear flow proposed by Arber and Howell with the pinch discharge in its center, and experimentally tested by Shumlak et al. 2) Spiral flow of a dense low temperature plasma surrounding a dense pinch discharge. 3) A thin metallic projectile shot at a high velocity through the center of the pinch discharge. 4) The replacement of the high velocity projectile by the shape charge effect jet in a conical implosion. 5) The replacement of the jet by a stationary wire inside the conical implosion.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2009

Attainability of high velocities for impact ignition

To reach the flyer plate velocities in excess of 1000km/sec required for impact ignition, it is proposed to combine the ablation acceleration of a dense hydrogen jet by its isentropic compression in a convergent Prandtl-Meyer flow, magnetically insulated by the Nernst effect against the wall confining the flow to reduce friction losses. A flyer plate placed at the front of the flow can there be accelerated to much higher velocities.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2008

Pure Nuclear Fusion Bomb Propulsion

Recent progress towards the non-fission ignition of thermonuclear micro-explosions raises the prospect for a revival of the nuclear bomb propulsion idea, both for the fast transport of large payloads within the solar system and the launch into earth orbit without the release of fission products into the atmosphere. To reach this goal three areas of research are of importance: 1)Compact thermonuclear ignition drivers. 2)Fast ignition and deuterium burn. 3)Space-craft architecture involving magnetic insulation and GeV electrostatic potentials

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2008

Detonation along laser generated micropinch for fast ignition

The proposed fast ignition of highly compressed deuterium-tritium (DT) targets by petawatt lasers requires energy of about 100kJ. To lower the power of the laser, it is proposed to accomplish fast ignition with two lasers, one with lower power in the infrared, and a second one with high power in the visible to ultraviolet region. The infrared laser of lower power shall by its radiation pressure drive a large current in a less than solid density plasma placed inside a capillary, while the second high power-shorter wave length-laser shall ignite at one end of the capillary a magnetic field supported thermonuclear detonation wave in a blanket made from solid DT along the outer surface of the capillary. The other end of the capillary, together with its DT blanket, is stuck in the DT target, where following the compression of the target the detonation wave ignites the target.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2008

Conjectured Metastable Super-Explosives formed under High Pressure for Thermonuclear Ignition

If matter is suddenly put under a high pressure, for example a pressure of 100 Mb =10^14 dyn/cm^2, it can undergo a transformation into molecular excited states, bound by inner electron shells, with keV potential well for the electrons. If this happens, the electrons can under the emission of X-rays go into the groundstate of the molecule formed under the high pressure. At a pressure of the order ~ 10^14 dyn/cm^2, these molecules store in their excited states an energy with an energy density of the order ~ 10^14 erg/cm^3, about thousand times larger than for combustible chemicals under normal pressures. Furthermore, with the much larger optical path length of keV photons compared to the path length of eV photons, these superexplosives can reach at their surface an energy flux density (c=3x10^10 cm/s) of the order (c/3)x10^14 = 10^24 erg/cm^2s^(-1) = 10^17 W/cm^2, large enough for the ignition of thermonuclear reactions.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2008

Thermonuclear Dynamo inside an Alfven Black Hole

As in an acoustic black hole where the fluid is moving faster than the speed of sound and where the sound waves are swept along, in an Alfven black hole the plasma is moving faster than the Alfven velocity, with the Alfven waves swept along and eliminated as the cause of the magneto hydrodynamic instabilities. To realize an Alfven black hole, it is proposed to bring a plasma into rapid rotation by radially arranged lumped parameter transmission lines intersecting the plasma under an oblique angle. The rotating plasma slides frictionless over magnetic mirror fields directed towards the rotating plasma, with the mirror fields generated by magnetic solenoids positioned at the end of each transmission line. It is then shown that, with this configuration one can realize a thermonuclear dynamo, which also can serve as the analogue of a magnetar.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2008

Thermonuclear Fusion with the Sheared Flow Stabilized Z-Pinch

Two basic approaches to producing thermonuclear fusion with a sheared flow stabilized z-pinch are considered. One consists of heating the entire length of the z-pinch column to the required temperatures. The other basic approach considered here involves the concept of fast ignition. A localized "hot-spot" is produced under the proper conditions to ignite a thermonuclear burn wave in the z-pinch plasma. Here we demonstrate that sheared flow stabilization is more efficient in the fast-ignition method with isentropic compression then in a z-pinch where the entire plasma column is heated.

physics.plasm-ph↗