A Beam-Fusion-Triggered Transmutator; Transparent, Monitored and Controlled Realtime

We propose a laser-driven [1,2] or electrostatic driven [3] deuteron beam for the purpose of generation of high neutron rate to incinerate minor actinides and transmute fission products. The deuteron beam is generated in the energy range of 150-200 keV and is injected into a tank filled with tritium gas or onto a TiT substrate producing DT fusion neutrons. The neutron generating tank (either T gas or TiT foil) is surrounded by a mixture of FLiBe (2LiF-BeF₂) molten salt eutectic and minor actinides (MA). The FLiBE/MA concentration and machine geometry is optimized to run the transmutator by alternating between subcritical and delayed neutron critical states. Simulation using the MCNP code of the startup phase as well as MA burnup rate and fission product removal will be presented together with passive and active spectroscopy.

[1] Steinke, S., Henig, A., Schnürer, M., Sokollik, T., Nickles, P.V., Jung, D., Kiefer, D., Hörlein, R., Schreiber, J., Tajima, T. and Yan, X.Q., 2010. Laser and Particle Beams, 28(1), pp.215-221.

[2] Zhou, M.L., Yan, X.Q., Mourou, G., Wheeler, J.A., Bin, J.H., Schreiber, J. and Tajima, T., 2016. Physics of Plasmas, 23(4), p.043112.

[3] Davydenko, V. I., & Ivanov, A. A. (2004). Review of scientific instruments, 75(5), 1809-1812.