Chapter 207 Cold Nuclear Pulse Thruster

The basic task of condensed matter physics is to clarify the relationship between microstructure and physical properties, so it is crucial to determine whether the collective of certain types of microscopic particles that constitute condensed matter exhibits quantum properties.

The material or fuel that can undergo cold nuclear fusion is a technology developed from this theory after the continued development of condensed matter physics.

As the name suggests, cold nuclear fusion is a nuclear fusion that is different from the temperature at which hot nuclear fusion is achieved.

In the history of human scientific development, the definition of cold nuclear fusion is probably that the nuclear fusion reaction is carried out at low temperature or even room temperature. This situation is a conceptual hypothesis proposed for hot nuclear fusion, that is, the hot nuclear reaction inside stars.

However, this "cold" is extremely sophisticated. After reading the detailed description of cold nuclear fusion by Kuntai civilization, it is low temperature but not the room temperature that humans think.

How low is it?

The temperature for cold nuclear fusion of this condensed matter must be below minus 200 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is higher, this condensed matter will lose some magical quantum effect and then lose the ability to undergo nuclear fusion.

It is conceivable that in order to make this condensed matter undergo nuclear fusion reaction, it must be kept at an extremely low temperature. The Kuntai civilization uses liquid nitrogen.

Humans have discovered that the cold nuclear fusion engine of the Kuntai civilization is probably like this. When the condensed matter undergoes fusion reaction, it will inevitably heat up due to the release of energy from nuclear fusion. Therefore, while it undergoes nuclear fusion, liquid nitrogen must be used to keep it cool.

The particle jet produced by the fusion reaction will blast the liquid nitrogen into nitrogen element and shoot it backwards together with the particles produced by nuclear fusion, thereby providing a strong reaction force for the engine.

In other words, in order to maintain cold nuclear fusion, a large amount of refrigerant must be available, and this refrigerant is still being consumed.

This does not meet the requirements of an engine at all, because the more refrigerant there is, the heavier the spacecraft will be. Using this technology on a thruster is essentially no different from a chemical rocket, which is just a more powerful version.

So although the Kuntai civilization has mastered cold nuclear fusion, it has no way to actually install it on a spacecraft.

However, the Kuntai civilization is worthy of being a civilization that has gone very far in the field of cold nuclear fusion research. After discovering that using liquid nitrogen to cool down does not work, they took another approach and found a catalyst.

The essence of nuclear fusion is that elements with a small number of nucleons fuse into elements with a large number of nucleons.

Cold nuclear fusion, as nuclear fusion, is essentially the same.

Therefore, nuclear fusion reactions cannot occur with this condensed matter alone. It must be placed at extremely low temperatures or in contact with a catalyst.

Obviously, neither the condensed matter that can send cold nuclear fusion nor the catalyst is something that exists naturally, and must be artificially made.

The production process is quite complicated, but fortunately the Kuntai civilization has a complete set of theories and technical details.

It is very magical and completely different from what humans imagine.

The catalyst is also a condensed matter. Like the condensed matter that can undergo nuclear fusion reactions, it is a liquid and has superfluid properties.

In the description of the Kuntai civilization, after the cold nuclear fusion condensed matter comes into contact with this superfluid catalyst, it will turn into gas in an instant, and then an extremely fast and violent nuclear fusion reaction will occur.

As long as the contact range of the catalyst and the condensed matter, or the mixing method, can immediately make the condensed matter undergo a fusion reaction in an instant, and then eject huge energy.

At this moment, this condensed matter will be immediately consumed, or fused into another element with a higher nucleon number, and the instantaneous high temperature and high pressure brought by nuclear fusion will burst out.

Kuntai civilization calls the thruster made by this cold nuclear fusion principle a cold nuclear pulse thruster.

When you see the word "pulse", you will know how this engine works.

Obviously, the so-called cold nuclear pulse thruster achieves kinetic propulsion in a pulsed manner, well. In other words, it can be said that it provides power to the aircraft in the form of a nuclear explosion.

Of course, this nuclear explosion is a cold nuclear explosion, which is different from a thermonuclear explosion.

Although high temperature and high pressure will also be generated at that moment, this cold nuclear explosion will not produce a long-lasting high temperature, and the material requirements for the tail of the thruster are not as high as those for thermonuclear explosions. As long as the impact resistance is good enough, it can be used as a material for cold nuclear pulse thrusters.

Of course, after all, this thing is still a nuclear explosion, so if the material is not good enough, it is still more vulnerable to damage than thermonuclear fusion.

So generally, the combustion chamber or reaction nozzle of this kind of cold nuclear pulse thruster will be made very thick.

There are many disadvantages, but it is not without advantages.

As a cold nuclear fusion achieved by fuel and catalyst, its reaction volume is controllable, that is, the more condensed matter is placed, the more energy it produces by instantaneous fusion, and the stronger the pulse.

Not only that, the products produced by this fusion are not only 15% of the speed of light particle jets, but also a huge proportion of plasma flow.

What does this mean? It means that this kind of cold nuclear pulse thruster can allow the spacecraft to break through 15% of the speed of light.

Of course, there is a prerequisite here, that is, the amount of a pulse must be large enough. When it exceeds a certain threshold, the plasma flow will become the mainstream.

Kuntai civilization failed to break through the 15% light speed limit with this engine because it did not break through this threshold.

Since it is a pulse propulsion system, its limitation is obvious, which is material technology.

Kuntai civilization does not have materials that can withstand larger pulses.

Seeing this, Xu Zhenyi was really excited, because he had browsed the material technology of Kuntai civilization before, and he knew that the material technology of Kuntai civilization was not as good as that of humans.

From the data comparison, if humans use the current material technology, it is entirely possible to break through this threshold.

The first thing Xu Zhenyi thought of was the material imitated from the alien spacecraft material like the Tianqin, which can easily withstand the high temperature of 150 million degrees Celsius and has strong impact resistance.

The material that is completely suitable for withstanding high-intensity pulse shocks seems to be completely born for humans to use cold nuclear pulse propulsion.

Xu Zhenyi doesn't know if other civilizations have no other way to make such a powerful material, but humans happen to have this high-strength material because of the wreckage of the spacecraft on Callisto.

I don't know if it is lucky or unfortunate.

In a word, if this technology is true, it is very likely that humans will be able to make cold nuclear pulse propulsion.

What does this mean?

This means that if human warships are equipped with this engine, they are fully capable of breaking through 15% of the speed of light.

You should know that this breakthrough of 15% of the speed of light is not achieved by ion thrusters that take thousands of years to achieve, but is achieved in a short time by relying on super-strong pulses.