BSF
Targets—Made from Real Bubbles In laser inertial confinement fusion (ICF), the cost per target isn’t just a line item—it’s a linchpin in the entire economic and logistical viability of the reactor. Multi-occultation Triangulation This category covers multi-occultation triangulation, BSF’s method for bubble detection. Unlike cameras, it doesn’t rely on precision optics to form images. Instead, it constructs a picture mathematically using direct line-of-sight data - no lenses or mirrors involved. Sensors collect binary yes/no information: they either detect a pulse of light or they don’t. Sonoluminescent trigger for lasing Once the fuel bubble is centered, powerful acoustic compression waves are launched to rapidly converge inward toward it. Crucially, a split second before the sound waves reach the center, an intense burst of light is fired into the molten FLiBe, “pumping” the entire volume and rendering it laser-active. The idea is that the incoming acoustic shock will cause the bubble to implode and become extremely hot, emitting a brilliant flash of blackbody radiation. That flash of photons - the sonoluminescent “photon-burst” - then serves as a seed to trigger a cascade of laser emissions in the surrounding excited liquid. That cascade, powerfully amplified, is destined to return - after reflecting from the sphere’s inner wall - and deposit its energy into the fuel, thereby igniting it. This category pertains to the feasibility of that triggering mechanism. Acoustic "tractor beam" In BSFusion, because no mechanical fuel positioning mechanism can withstand the extreme pressures and temperatures near the site of detonation, the placement of the fusion bubble is remotely directed using acoustic pressure generated at a safe distance. This category investigates how acoustic pressure gradients can maneuver fuel bubbles within molten salt, employing a principle akin to tractor beams. Topics include: Liquid (molten salt) laser medium BSF’s molten salt laser fusion concept envisions a spherical reactor filled with a molten salt coolant that functions as a laser gain medium. Tentatively, a rare-earth element such as neodymium (Nd) or ytterbium (Yb) will enable laser activity, making the medium suitable for use as a heat-capacity laser operating at temperatures exceeding 700 K. Prior to fusion, an intense optical pump excites the doped molten salt, storing energy in the lasing ions. When the fusion fuel is acoustically compressed and begins to emit thermal radiation, this emission seeds laser amplification. The resulting laser cascades are amplified by the doped medium and reflect from the chamber’s polished interior, converging back on the fuel. This category addresses the feasibility of using molten FLiBe as a laser gain medium.
