Autocatalytic fission-fusion microexplosions for nuclear pulse propulsion

摘要

Autocatalytic fission-fusion microexplosions, mutually amplifying fission and fusion reactions, are proposed for propulsion. Autocatalytic fission-fusion microexplosions can be realized by imploding a shell of uranium 235 (or plutonium) onto a magnetized deuterium-tritium (DT) plasma. After having reached a high temperature, the DT plasma releases fusion neutrons making fission reactions in the fissile shell increasing the implosion velocity which in turn increases the fusion reaction rate until full ignition of the DT plasma.