Proton–boron fusion

Proton–boron fusion is the fusion of a boron nucleus with a proton. It is one of the most promising forms of aneutronic fusion and uses one laser to create a boron-11 plasma and another to create a stream of protons that smash into the plasma, producing slow-moving helium particles but no neutrons. The laser-generated proton beam produces a tenfold increase of boron fusion because protons and boron nuclei collide directly. Earlier methods used a solid boron target, "protected" by its electrons, which reduced the fusion rate. Scaled-up versions of the system were expected to require substantially less energy input to create and sustain the reaction.^[1]

Neutron radiation

Most laser fusion systems produce radiation in the form of fast-moving neutrons that requires heavy shielding and degrades the walls of the fusion reactor.^[1]

Boron plasma

The plasma lasts about one-billionth of a second requiring the pulse of protons, which lasts one-trillionth of a second, to be precisely synchronized. The proton beam is preceded by a beam of electrons, generated by the same laser, that pushes away electrons in the boron plasma, allowing the protons more of a chance to collide with the boron nuclei and initiate fusion.^[1]

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