FUSION BURNING WAVES IN PROTON-BORON-11 PLASMAS

A method is proposed to exploit the aneutronic proton-B-11 fusion reac tion by means of igniting a heat detonation wave that expands across t he fuel from a small heated region. The ignition process is triggered by a particle beam (or a couple of beams) impinging on an inertially c ompressed target. We determine conditions for ignition and burn propag ation. Although the requirements on the igniting beam current are very high, the method is a clear hint how to produce the cleanest energy f rom nuclear reactions.