Analytical representation of the thermonuclear reaction rate and fusion energy production in a spherical plasma shock wave

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Abstract
The recently obtained closed-form representation of the non-resonant thermonuclear reaction rate by a generalized hypergeometric function (Meijer's G-function) is used for a fusion yield calculation. A simplified physical model for the hydrodynamical processes in a fusion plasma compressed and heated by a laser-driven spherical shock wave permits calculation of the released fusion energy by integrating the thermonuclear reaction rate over the temperature. With the aid of the closed-form representation of the reaction rate this fusion energy production integral is approximation-free evaluated. After computing numerical factors, the approximate representation of the fusion energy yield given until now in the literature is compared with the more accurate ones obtained in this paper, and the apparent discrepancies are discussed.