Galaxy Technology Empire

Inside the Qinling Plasma Research Institute.

A group of researchers are discussing the results of this experiment.

"Judging from the experimental results, the neutron squeezing method is feasible, but there are still many problems in the design of the prototype that we need to solve." Fei Anming said first.

Bang bang bang... Everyone clapped quickly. The neutron squeezing method could achieve controllable nuclear fusion, which allowed them to see the dawn of artificial sun instead of fifty years forever.

Fei Anming pressed his hands and said: "Now let's sum up our experience and modify the prototype."

Everyone began to conduct comprehensive research based on the problems that emerged from the experiment.

"I suggest not using the DT reaction, but using the DD reaction." Yang Guangming looked at it for a while and said.

"Why do you say that?" Fei Anming asked.

"After all, we use the neutron squeezing method for nuclear fusion. Unlike traditional thermonuclear fusion, temperature is not the first influencing factor of the neutron squeezing method. If the DD reaction is used, there will be no more neutrons. "Yang Guangming explained.

"I agree with using DD instead of DT as the reaction material." Liu Jingguan also nodded. After all, in the terrorist neutron press, the reaction conditions of DT and DD will not change much.

The products after the two reactions are different. DD will not produce free neutrons, but DT will produce one free neutron.

For example, our common stars, in fact, due to their extremely large mass, they generate great gravity, which in turn generates extremely high pressure. Under this effect, hydrogen nuclear fusion occurs. The fusion product is helium. The fusion of hydrogen into helium is still absolutely impossible. The way most stars burn.

However, the nuclear fusion of stars is caused by autogenous pressure, while the nuclear fusion of neutron presses is caused by exogenous pressure.

"The other thing is, to which stage do we need to control the degree of reaction of nuclear fusion, or the number of reactions?" Yang Guangming then asked a question.

He asked this question because the main pathway for hydrogen nuclear fusion is the proton chain reaction, and some useful conclusions can be drawn from various stages of stellar nuclear fusion.

After the star's hydrogen nuclei fuse to a certain extent, its brightness will increase, its volume will expand, and helium nuclei will fuse spontaneously, entering the helium reaction stage.

The way the helium nucleus reacts is 3He=C, three helium atoms with an atomic mass of 4 merge into one carbon-12 atom.

Carbon 12 can capture another helium nucleus to become an oxygen nucleus, and an oxygen nucleus can also capture a helium nucleus to become a neon nucleus, but it is more difficult.

Carbon fusion (the product is magnesium nuclei) and oxygen fusion (the products are phosphorus and sulfur) will also be carried out, but the efficiency of heat release is far less than that of hydrogen nuclear fusion.

When fusion proceeds to silicon fusion (the product is an iron core, atomic number 26), since the polymerization into elements above iron requires energy absorption, stars generally can only reach iron atoms through normal fusion reactions.

Judging from the stellar nuclear fusion reaction chain above, hydrogen - helium - carbon - oxygen - neon, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus - silicon - iron, a chain from light to heavy.

How much energy will be generated during this process?

It can be calculated very simply, that is, how much mass is lost during the nuclear fusion process from hydrogen atoms to iron atoms? This lost mass is the energy released in this process.

How to calculate how much mass is lost in the nuclear fusion reaction from hydrogen atoms to iron atoms?

We all know that atoms are composed of neutrons, neutrons, and electrons. When calculating atomic mass, electrons can be ignored. That is to say, atomic mass = neutron mass + proton mass.

The relative atomic mass of the neutron is 1.0083, while the relative atomic mass of the proton is 1.0079.

An iron atom is composed of 26 protons and 30 neutrons. The result of 26×1.0079+30×1.0083 is 56.4544, but the relative atomic mass of the iron atom is 55.84. The difference between these two numbers, 0.6144, is the mass lost by the iron atom.

During this process, the iron atom lost 1.08% of its mass. Don't underestimate 1.08% of its mass.

You must know that from hydrogen nuclear fusion to helium, the mass lost in this process is only about 0.63%.

In fact, the energy produced from the nuclear fusion process of hydrogen atoms and iron atoms is definitely more than 1.08% of the mass.

Why?

Because an iron atom is composed of 26 protons and 30 neutrons, assuming that the DD reaction starts, it takes 30 deuterons to fuse an iron atom. Among the 30 deuterons, there are 4 extra protons. These many Protons or neutrons also carry huge energy.

Liu Jingguan thought for a while and said: "We'd better take it step by step, starting from the stage of hydrogen nuclear fusion to helium."

"I think so too. First confirm the critical data at the stage of hydrogen nuclear fusion to helium." Fei Anming agreed.

"How to generate electricity is also a topic worthy of study." Zhang Huaide also raised a question.

After hearing this question, everyone pondered. The neutron press is different from the general thermonuclear reaction. Due to the material properties of NN-8-1, only photons and neutrinos can escape, and other substances are bound in the neutron press. inside the vacuum chamber.

When two hydrogen nuclei (protons) collide and combine, they release a positron and a neutrino, forming a heavy hydrogen nucleus (there is a proton and a neutron in the nucleus).

Then this heavy hydrogen nucleus combines with a proton and emits a gamma photon to form a helium 3 nucleus (there are two protons and one neutron in the nucleus).

In the third step, two helium 3 nuclei combine to form a helium 4 nucleus (there are two protons and two neutrons in the nucleus), and two protons are released at the same time.

The overall reaction is: four hydrogen nuclei undergo a fusion reaction to form a helium 4 nucleus that simultaneously emits two positrons, two neutrinos and two gamma photons.

There is currently no way to use neutrinos, and electrons cannot break through the NN-8-1 material. The only thing left that can be used is photons.

"Judging from the reaction, what we can use is optical radiation. Optical radiation accounts for about 35% of the total energy released. But why did the optical radiation exceed expectations in today's experiment? Even if there is one more helium fusion, is there any reason? More than that?" Yang Guangming was puzzled.

"You are ignoring one issue. Those neutrons and electrons have no way to escape. Coupled with the pressure accumulation in the reaction environment, I think these extra light radiation are the transformation of neutrons and electrons into photons under environmental pressure." Liu Jingguan guessed.

Yang Guangming thought for a moment, nodded and said, "It seems we need to test it a few more times so that we can understand the characteristics of the neutron squeezing method."

"Is it still possible to generate electricity by boiling water?" Zhang Huaide asked.

“Laser power generation may be considered,” Fei Anming said.

"Laser power generation? Is it similar to solar power generation?" Liu Jingguan asked.

"Yes, laser power generation. I checked the paper of the Seventh Branch of the Laser Research Institute. Their laser power generation can achieve an energy utilization efficiency of about 68%." Fei Anming explained.

"In that case, please contact the Laser Research Institute and get a set of laser power generation equipment to try." Liu Jingguan decided to try laser power generation.

"Okay, leave this to me."

After the seminar, the Qinling Plasma Research Institute took action again. Fei Anming went to the Laser Research Institute to customize laser power generation equipment, while Liu Jingguan and others were testing the neutron press while improving it.

In particular, the 30 NN-8-1 condensed matter generators they customized for Supernova Industries have been delivered one after another.

The controllable nuclear fusion within reach is already beckoning to them.