Inside the Qinling Plasma Research Institute.

A group of researchers are discussing the results of this experiment.

"From the experimental results, the neutron squeezing method is feasible, but there are still many problems in the design of the prototype that we need to solve." Fei Anming spoke first.

Bang Bang Bang ...... The crowd hurriedly applauded that the neutron squeezing method could achieve controlled nuclear fusion, which gave them the dawn of an artificial sun, not an eternal fifty years.

Fei Anming pressed his hand and said: "Now let's sum up the experience and transform the prototype. ”

Everyone began to conduct a comprehensive study based on the problems that arose in the experiment.

"I recommend not using the DT reaction and using the DD reaction instead." Yang Guangming looked at it for a while and said.

"Why do you say that?" Fei Anming asked.

"After all, we use the neutron squeezing method for nuclear fusion, unlike the traditional thermonuclear fusion, temperature is not the first influencing factor of the neutron squeezing method, if the DD reaction is used, then there will not be one more neutron." Yang Guangming explained.

"I agree with the use of DD instead of DT as a reaction material." Liu Jingguan also nodded, after all, in the horror neutron press, the reaction conditions of DT and DD will not change much.

However, the product of the reaction between the two is different, DD does not produce free neutrons, but DT produces a free neutron.

For example, our common stars, in fact, they are due to their super-large mass to produce a great gravitational pull, and then produce extremely high pressure, under this action hydrogen fusion occurs, the fusion product is helium, hydrogen fusion into helium is still the way most stars burn.

However, the nuclear fusion of stars is caused by autogeneous pressure, while the nuclear fusion of neutron presses is caused by exogenous pressure.

"The other thing is, the degree of reaction of nuclear fusion, or the number of reactions, to which stage do we need to control?" Yang Guangming then asked a question.

He asked this question because the main route of hydrogen fusion is proton chain reaction, and some useful conclusions can be drawn from the various stages of stellar nuclear fusion.

After the fusion of stellar hydrogen nuclei to a certain extent, the brightness will increase, the volume will expand, and the fusion of helium nuclei will be carried out spontaneously, entering the helium reaction stage.

The way the helium nucleus reacts is 3He = C, and 3 helium atoms with a mass of 4 merge into a single carbon-12 atom.

Carbon-12 can capture one more helium nucleus and turn it into an oxygen nucleus, and an oxygen nucleus can also capture a helium nucleus into a neon nucleus, but it's a bit more difficult.

Carbon fusion (produced by magnesium cores) and oxygen fusion (produced by phosphorus and sulfur) will also take place, but the heat release is nowhere near as efficient as hydrogen nuclear fusion.

When the fusion proceeds to silicon fusion (the product is an iron nucleus, atomic number 26), the polymerization of elements above iron requires energy absorption, so the normal fusion reaction of stars can only reach the iron atom.

Judging from the chain of stellar nuclear fusion reactions above, hydrogen - helium - carbon - oxygen - neon, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus - silicon - iron, a chain from light to heavy.

How much energy is generated in the process?

It is very simple to calculate, that is, how much mass is lost in the nuclear fusion process of hydrogen atoms to iron atoms? This lost mass is the energy released in the process.

How do you calculate how much mass is lost in a nuclear fusion reaction from hydrogen atoms to iron atoms?

We all know that atoms are composed of neutrons, neutrons, and electrons, and when calculating the atomic mass, the electrons are negligible, that is to say, the atomic mass = neutron mass + proton mass.

The relative atomic mass of the neutron is 1.0083, while the relative atomic mass of the proton is 1.0079.

The iron atom is composed of 26 protons and 30 neutrons, and the result of 26×1.0079 + 30×1.0083 is 56.4544, but the relative atomic mass of the iron atom is 55.84, and the difference between these two numbers is 0.6144 is the mass lost by the iron atom.

In this process, the iron atom loses 1.08% of its mass, so don't underestimate 1.08% of its mass.

It is important to know that from hydrogen fusion to helium, the mass lost in this process is only about 0.63%.

In fact, the nuclear fusion process of the iron atom of the hydrogen atom produces absolutely more energy than 1.08% of the mass.

Why?

Because the iron atom is composed of 26 protons and 30 neutrons, assuming that since the DD reaction begins, it takes 30 deuterium to nucleofusion an iron atom, and there are 4 more protons out of the 30 deuterium, and these more protons or neutrons also carry huge energy.

Liu Jing thought for a while and said, "We'd better take it step by step, starting with the stage of hydrogen fusion to helium. ”

"I think so too, first confirm the critical data for the stage of hydrogen fusion to helium." Fei Anming echoed.

"How to generate electricity is also a topic worth studying." Zhang Huaide also raised a question.

Hearing this question, everyone pondered, the neutron press is different from the general thermonuclear reaction, the neutron press due to the material characteristics of NN-8-1, only photons and neutrinos can escape, and other substances are bound in the vacuum chamber.

Two hydrogen nuclei (protons) collide and combine to release a positron and a neutrino to form a heavy hydrogen nucleus (with a proton and a neutron in the nucleus).

This heavy hydrogen nucleus then combines with a proton and emits a γ photon to form a helium-3 nucleus (with two protons and a neutron in the nucleus).

In the third step, two helium-3 nuclei combine to form a helium-4 nucleus (two protons and two neutrons in the nucleus), which release two protons at the same time.

The total reaction is that four hydrogen nuclei undergo a fusion reaction to form a helium-4 nucleus and simultaneously release two positrons, two neutrinos, and two γ photons.

Neutrinos currently have no way to be used, and electrons cannot break through the NN-8-1 material, and the only thing that can be used is photons.

"Judging from the reaction, what we can use is optical radiation, which accounts for about 35% of the total energy released, but why is there more optical radiation than expected in today's experiment? Even if it's one more helium fusion, is there a reason to go beyond that?" Yang Guangming was puzzled.

"You ignore a problem, those neutrons and electrons have no way to escape, plus the reaction environment pressure accumulates, I think these extra light radiation is neutrons and electrons under environmental pressure to photons." Liu Jingguan guessed.

Yang Guangming thought for a while, nodded and said, "It seems that we need to test a few more times, so that we can find out the characteristics of the neutron pressing method." ”

"Is it still the way to boil water to generate electricity?" Zhang Huaide asked.

"Laser power generation may be considered." Fei Anming said.

"Laser power? It's similar to solar power?" Liu Jingguan asked.

"Yes, laser power generation, I checked the paper of the seventh branch of the Laser Research Institute, and their laser power generation can already achieve an energy utilization efficiency of about 68%." Fei Anming explained.

"In that case, Fei Suo, you can contact the Laser Research Institute and get a set of laser power generation equipment to give it a try." Liu Jingguan decided to try laser power generation.

"Yes, I'll take care of that."

After the discussion, the Qinling Plasma Research Institute took action again, Fei Anming went to the Laser Research Institute to customize laser power generation equipment, and Liu Jingguan and others improved while testing the neutron press.

In particular, 30 sets of NN-8-1 condensed matter generators customized by them to Supernova Industry have been sent one after another.

Controlled nuclear fusion at their fingertips is already beckoning to them.

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