Proton-hydrogen collision model could impact fusion research

The motions of plasmas may be notoriously difficult to model, but they can be better understood by analysing what happens when protons are scattered by atoms of hydrogen. In itself, this property is characterised by the size of a particular area surrounding the atom, known as its 'cross section'.

In new research published in EPJ D, Anthony Leung and Tom Kirchner at York University in Canada used new techniques to calculate the cross sections of atoms which have been excited to higher energy levels. They analysed the behaviour over a wide range of impact energies.

Since a huge amount of energy is released when ions and atomic nuclei combine, the duo's efforts are of particular importance to the field of nuclear fusion. Among those interested parties will be the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which relies upon accurate plasma modelling in its continuing developments of feasible fusion reactors.

The collision process has been modelled through a wide variety of theoretical techniques in the past, but widespread discrepancies have remained between their results.

In calculating the cross sections of hydrogen atoms in their first and second excited states, and for impact energies between 1 and 300keV, Leung and Kirchner's results validate some of these previous conclusions. At the same time, they reveal continuing discrepancies in other models.

The researchers calculated their cross sections through a mathematical approach similar to those used in some previous studies, but which was more adaptable to intermediate-energy problems.

Leung and Kirchner's work could bring about important advances in physicists' understanding of how plasmas behave, and may even advance our understanding of how they can be used to realise an abundant source of clean energy.

Research paper

Related Links
Springer
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Fusion by strong lasers
Dresden, Germany (SPX) Dec 09, 2019
Nuclear physics usually involves high energies, as illustrated by experiments to master controlled nuclear fusion. One of the problems is how to overcome the strong electrical repulsion between atomic nuclei which requires high energies to make them fuse. But fusion could be initiated at lower energies with electromagnetic fields that are generated, for example, by state-of-the-art free electron lasers emitting X-ray light. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) describe ho ... read more