Alternative Laser Driven Fusion Reactions for Nuclear Energy Without Radioactivity

Following the first result of generating nuclear fusion energy without dangerous radioactive radiation by laser ignition of the proton-¹¹Boron reaction (HB11), we applied this method to evaluate other fusion reactions with no primary neutron production as the proton-⁷Lithium reaction (HLi7) and of the burning of solid density helium isotope ³He (He3-He3). The new method is a combination of now available laser pulses of 10 petawatt (PW) power and duration in the range of picoseconds (ps) or less. The new mechanism follows the initial theory of Chu and of Bobin for side-on ignition of solid state density fusion fuel developed in about 1972 where some later known physics phenomena had to be added. The essential innovation is the use of the discovery of a predicted anomaly when the mentioned laser pulses are sufficiently clean, i.e. free from prepulses by at least a contrast ratio 10⁸ where acceleration by the nonlinear (ponderomotive) force is dominating.