Foams – some only slightly heavier than air – are emerging as a key material for fusion. They efficiently turn a laser pulse into the proton beam required for fusion.
In a recent successful experiment at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany, a collaboration of international researchers used the PHELIX (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments) laser installation to produce proton beams, using foams produced by HB11 Energy as targets. HB11’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Sergey Pikuz is seen here inspecting the foams with Prof. Olga Rosmej of GSI and Goethe University.
These materials are characterised by extreme low density (in our case 5 or 10 mg/cc), which enables the generation of higher proton fluxes than the use of normal, solid state flat targets. This successful cutting-edge experiment was the first real test of these materials. They are now available to research groups at similar laser facilities and can be purchased from HB11 Energy.
