3 ms·
There is a related paper at: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Adams_2013_PhI_PuFF_inProgress.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/A
by curtis 12y ago
There is a related paper at:
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Adams_2013_PhI_PuFF_inProgress.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Adams_2013_Ph...
I found the Executive Summary and Background sections to be pretty easy to understand, at least for this layman. I haven't read the rest of the paper yet.
TLDR, assuming I understand correctly: Imagine an Orion-drive spaceship powered by tiny, tiny H-bombs where the chemical explosives have been replaced by a magnetic z-pinch (a la the Sandia Z-machine).
- lbearl 12y agoI'm guessing you just mis-typed, but I think you meant nuclear instead of chemical.
- bcmit 12y agoNo, I think he's talking about the initial, chemical explosion that sets off the fission + fusion part, at least in the old bombs.
- curtis 12y agoThat's right. Note that there are other Z-pinch fusion designs which use the Z-pinch to directly trigger fusion reaction without going through a fission intermediary.
- abecedarius 12y agoI wonder if this could be made into a 'blaster' like in science fiction stories, here on Earth.