Atomic processes for heavy ion inertial fusion

Heavy ion beams which may be used as drivers for inertial fusion energy power generation exhibit a wide array of atomic phenomena in connection to their penetration through the chamber environments and into the target materials associated with current heavy ion fusion (HIF) scenarios. The modeling of many of these atomic processes has been complicated due to uncertainties, including many difficult-to-quantify atomic processes of ion-plasma interactions. This work has been directed to address some of the issues of greatest import to HIF and atomic physics in general.;A comprehensive model is presented in this dissertation which enables calculation of important atomic reactions and an improved understanding of the processes responsible for errors in previous calculations. This work demonstrates that the standard binary encounter models (BEM) for direct ionization can be used reliably in HIF-related calculations of beam ionization in gaseous chambers and the charge evolution of ions penetrating solids. Much of the miscalculation of enhanced ionization previously encountered is shown not to be due to shortcomings in the BEM, but rather to incomplete application of the Lotz free electron formula to highly-charged ions. Included are recommendations for obtaining better HIF-related ionization cross sections experimentally. This can be done by reversing the target and beam frames, using nuclear or electron beams to ionize heavy ions, which can have an initial charge state as high as 10+ [50].;Herein is demonstrated for the first time the successful use of first-principle charge-changing reaction models to replicate the Bohr semi-empirical formula for equilibrium charge states of ions penetrating cold solids. This success, along with an improved understanding of the ionization and capture processes in beams penetrating plasmas are combined to establish trends in the charge state evolution of heavy ions in plasma targets. This enables the development of a new equilibrium charge state formula giving the equilibrium charge evolution of a beam penetrating a dense, partially ionized plasma target.