Fissioning Uranium Plasmas and Nuclear-Pumped Lasers

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Abstract
Fissioning uranium plasmas are the gaseous fuel in high-temperature cavity reactors, originally conceived for nuclear rocket propulsion in space. A predominantly pragmatic research effort, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has led to the determination of the most important characteristics of the uranium nuclear fireball in gaseous core reactors. For achieving thrust at a specific impulse up to 5000 sec, the nuclear fuel must bum at a temperature in excess of 10 000 K. For criticality the uranium particle density must be not less than the molecular density of gases at standard conditions, which, in combination with the high temperature, results in a uranium plasma pressure of several hundred atmospheres. The plasma is confined by a peripherally injected propellant flow, which simultaneously intercepts the thermal radiation from the nuclear fireball and provides for an effective mechanism for heat transfer. Results of extensive research indicate that the plasma core rea...

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