Galactic Tech Empire

Chapter 395 Proton Chain
Inside the Qinling Plasma Research Institute.

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

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

Clap, clap... Everyone applauded quickly. The neutron squeeze method can achieve controllable nuclear fusion, which allowed them to see the dawn of an artificial sun, instead of 50 years forever.

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

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

"I suggest using DD instead of DT reaction." Yang Guangming said after watching for a while.

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

"After all, we use the neutron squeeze method for nuclear fusion, which is different from traditional thermonuclear fusion. Temperature is not the first influencing factor of the neutron squeeze method. If DD reaction is used, there will not be an extra neutron. "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 squeezer, 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 a free neutron.

For example, our common stars, in fact, they have great gravitational force due to their supermassive mass, and then generate extremely high pressure. Under this effect, hydrogen nuclear fusion occurs, and the fusion product is helium, and hydrogen fusion into helium is still absolute. The way most stars burn.

But the nuclear fusion of stars is caused by autogenous pressure, while the nuclear fusion of neutron squeezer is caused by exogenous pressure.

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

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

After the fusion of hydrogen nuclei reaches a certain level, the brightness will increase, the volume will expand, and the fusion of helium nuclei will proceed spontaneously, entering the helium reaction stage.

The way of helium nuclear reaction is 3He=C, 3 helium atoms with an atomic mass of 4 merge into a carbon 12 atom.

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

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

When the fusion progresses to silicon fusion (the product is iron nucleus, atomic number 26), since the fusion of elements above iron needs to absorb energy, generally stars can only reach the step of iron atoms through normal fusion reactions.

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

How much energy is produced in 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? The mass lost is the energy released during this process.

How do you calculate how much mass is lost in the nuclear fusion reaction from a hydrogen atom to an iron atom?
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 a neutron is 1.0083, while that of a proton is 1.0079.

铁原子由于26个质子和30个中子构成，26×1.0079+30×1.0083的结果就是56.4544，但是铁原子相对原子质量是55.84，这两个数字的差值0.6144就是铁原子损失的质量。

During this process, iron atoms lose 1.08% of their mass, so don't underestimate the 1.08% mass.

It is important to know that the mass lost in this process from hydrogen fusion to helium is only about 0.63%.

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

why?
Because the iron atom is composed of 26 protons and 30 neutrons, assuming that the DD reaction starts, then 30 deuterium elements are needed to fuse an iron atom, and there are 30 more protons among the 4 deuterium elements. protons or neutrons also carry enormous amounts of energy.

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

"I think so too, first confirm the critical data of the stage from hydrogen nuclear fusion to helium." Fei Anming echoed.

"How to generate electricity is also a topic worth studying." Zhang Huaide also raised a question.

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

And two hydrogen nuclei (protons) collide and combine to release a positron and a neutrino to form a heavy hydrogen nucleus (a proton and a neutron in the nucleus).

Then this heavy hydrogen nucleus combines with a proton to emit 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 are combined 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 go through fusion reaction to form a helium-4 nucleus and release two positrons, two neutrinos and two gamma photons at the same time.

Neutrinos cannot be used at present, and electrons cannot break through the NN-8-1 material, and the only thing left to be used is photons.

"From the point of view of the reaction, what we can use is optical radiation, which accounts for about 35% of the total energy released, but why did the optical radiation exceed so much in today's experiment? Even if there is one more helium fusion, is there any reason?" So much more?" Yang Guangming was puzzled.

"You ignore a problem. There is no way for those neutrons and electrons to escape. Coupled with the accumulation of reaction environment pressure, I think these extra light radiation is the transformation of neutrons and electrons into photons under environmental pressure." Liu Jingguan guessed.

Yang Guangming thought for a while, nodded and said: "It seems that we need to test a few more times, so that we can find out the characteristics of the neutron squeeze method."

"Is it still the way 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 papers 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 this case, Fei Suo, please contact the Laser Research Institute and get a set of laser power generation equipment to try it out." Liu Jingguan decided to try laser power generation.

"Okay, leave this to me."

After the symposium, 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 improved the neutron squeezer while testing it.

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

Controlled nuclear fusion within reach is already beckoning to them.

(End of this chapter)