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Perspectives
Published in Ivan G. Draganić, Zorica D. Draganić, Jean-Pierre Adloff, Radiation and Radioactivity on Earth and Beyond, 2020
Ivan G. Draganić, Zorica D. Draganić, Jean-Pierre Adloff
The Sun’s fusion reactor operates by changing its fuel. Helium produced by the fusion of hydrogen has accumulated ever since the birth of the Sun, whose gravitational contraction further heats the core. The zone of hydrogen fusion slowly migrates outwards like an expanding shell. When it reaches a point where the temperature is less than 10 million degrees, the fusion process ceases. In the meantime, the internal gravitational field forces the helium-rich core to contract, thereby increasing the pressure and raising the temperature to 100 million degrees. This initiates the fusion of helium nuclei, causing a further production of nuclear energy and the syntheses of carbon and oxygen nuclei. The external layers of the star will expand and cool, and our Sun will then undergo a major change becoming a red giant star. In its expansion, it will envelop and devour the inner members of the Solar System, that is, Mercury, Venus, and also the Earth. After the helium is almost consumed, the interior region will continue its postponed collapse, and the Sun will eventually end as a white dwarf. The latter bodies represent a class of small, extremely brilliant, and highly dense stars with a high surface temperature (hence the color).
Introduction and acknowledgments
Published in Anthony N. Penna, A History of Energy Flows, 2019
Regarding the potential power of solar energy, the power of the Sun dwarfs all other sources of renewable energy. This vast hydrogen fusion reactor warms us every day of every year. It has been doing the same for the last 4 billion years. Each year, we receive 885 million terawatt-hours of solar energy. Each day, Earth gets 165,000 terawatts (1 terawatt-hour equals 1 million megawatt-hours) of energy from our galaxy’s Sun. With a global population predicted to reach 10 billion by 2050, harnessing 60 terawatt-hours will provide each person with a few kilowatt-hours (1 kilowatt-hour is 1,000 watts) of electricity each day. Covering a landmass equivalent to the size of Texas with state-of-the-art solar panels in 2050 will provide that few kilowatt-hours each day to the entire world’s population. Pointing in that direction, solar power became the world’s leader in new electricity generation in 2017, installing 73 gigawatt-hours of new solar photovoltaic capacity. (One gigawatt-hour is 1 billion watts.)
Diamond in the Sky
Published in James C Sung, Jianping Lin, Diamond Nanotechnology, 2019
Diamond films with low concentration of defects can be excellent optical windows for shielding generators of X-ray (Fig. 1.14), visible light (Fig. 1.15), or infrared electromagnetic radiation. A diamond window can absorb so little of the electromagnetic radiation that even megawatts of microwave can pass through without warming it (Fig. 1.16). This makes diamond windows ideal for igniting hydrogen fusion with a megawatts microwave beam. Diamond windows may also survive high corrosive environments. For example, a natural diamond lens was used to explore the acidic atmosphere of Venus.
Disentangling the H2 E, F(1Σ g +) (v′=0−18)←X(1Σ g +)(v″=3−9)(2+1) REMPI spectrum via 2D velocity-mapped imaging
Published in Molecular Physics, 2021
Mitchell S. Quinn, Klaas Nauta, Scott H. Kable
The dihydrogen molecule (H) plays a crucial role in many aspects of chemistry and physics. It is, of course, the most abundant molecule in the universe. Closer to home, it is a common species in combustion chemistry and used in many industrial processes, and is naturally the key ingredient in hydrogen fusion processes [1]. Perhaps surprisingly, H is the second most abundant oxidisable species in the atmosphere, after methane, with a mixing ratio of about 0.5 ppm [2]. Should H come to play a significant role in global energy production, then this atmospheric concentration will likely rise. Probing H in such an extreme variety of environments is therefore a substantial challenge.
Energetic aspects of elemental boron: a mini-review
Published in Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2022
Okan Icten, Birgul Zumreoglu-Karan
The hydrogen fusion reaction of boron is far more promising than combustion and hydrolysis aspects. As a new clean nuclear fuel with no waste, boron also holds more energy than initially thought. Hydrogen-boron fusion produces three to four times more energy per mass of fuel than nuclear fission, with no risk and virtually no waste. The progress in the research and technology of aneutronic proton-boron fusion reaction provides a vision for an attractive, sustainable future power. It promises in situ and on-demand energy production possible with very low carbon emission and without heat pollution. There is enough boron on Earth and a vast hydrogen and boron reserve in seawater to support a boron-based nuclear energy industry to meet the world’s future demands.