Exploring new frontiers in the pulsed power laboratory: Recent progress

Abstract

One of the most fundamental processes in the Universe, nucleosynthesis of elements drives energy production in stars as well as the creation of all atoms heavier than hydrogen. To harness this process and open new ways for energy production, we must recreate some of the extreme conditions in which it occurs. We present results of experiments using a pulsed power facility to induce collective nuclear interactions producing stable nuclei of virtually every element in the periodic table. A high-power electron beam pulse striking a small metallic target is used to create the extreme dynamic environment. Material analysis studies detect an anomalously high presence of new chemical elements in the remnants of the exploded target supporting theoretical conjectures of the experiment. These results provide strong motivation to continue our research looking for additional proofs that heavy element nucleosynthesis is possible in pulsed power laboratory.

Keywords

• Pulsed power
• Electron beam
• Collective nuclear effects
• Material analysis