Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!lll-crg!qantel!hplabs!hao!noao!terak!mot!anasazi!will From: will@anasazi.UUCP (Will Fuller) Newsgroups: net.physics,net.space Subject: Thermonuclear Device Message-ID: <477@anasazi.UUCP> Date: Tue, 14-Jan-86 11:12:23 EST Article-I.D.: anasazi.477 Posted: Tue Jan 14 11:12:23 1986 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Jan-86 04:08:54 EST Distribution: net Organization: Anasazi, Phoenix Az. Lines: 19 Xref: watmath net.physics:3753 net.space:5260 One means of creating the temperatures and pressures necessary for nuclear fusion is atmospheric ablation. In this scenario a ceramic sphere containing a mixture of hydrogen isotopes would be made to enter the atmosphere with a large initial velocity. As the ceramic ablates away the temperatures and pressures in the core of the sphere climb (this is a similar mechanism as the one currently practiced for sustained fusion reactions via high power laser). Another (more tasteful) application might be to use the ceramic pellets as a fuel for a *very fast* ramjet. I would like to see anybody's SDI knock out half a mole of billiard balls traveling at tens of kilometers per second. -- William H. Fuller {decvax|ihnp4|hao}!noao!terak!anasazi!will