2nd International Workshop on Proton-Boron Fusion

Europe/Rome
FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON CATANIA HOTEL

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON CATANIA HOTEL

Via Antonello Da Messina, 45, Catania, Italia
CIRRONE, Giuseppe (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (I) and ELI-Beamlines (CZ)), GIUFFRIDA, Lorenzo (ELI beamlines)
Description

The conventional route to nuclear fusion for power generation is based on the reaction between deuterium and tritium nuclei, which yields one alpha particle and one neutron. Formidable technology and sustainability challenges, however, stem from the availability and handling of tritium as well as from the radiation damage and radioactivity induced by the high-energy neutron in reactor materials. In this respect, the fusion reaction between a proton and a boron-11 nucleus to yield three alpha particles is very attractive as it involves only abundant and stable isotopes in the reactants, and no neutron in the reaction products.

Unfortunately, the hydrogen-boron plasma has an ignition temperature which is ten times higher than the deuterium-tritium one, thus proton-boron fusion is prohibitive to exploit under thermonuclear schemes.

Nevertheless, in the last 15 years it has effectively been induced by means of high-power lasers, showing an impressive progression in the reaction yield. Recent experimental findings and theoretical predictions, along with the advent of dramatically enhanced laser capabilities, call for an urgent, systematic investigation of possible ignition schemes in laser-driven proton-boron fusion.

Recently, an innovative technique named PBCT (Proton Boron Capture Therapy) has been demonstrated experimentally using molecules containing 11B nuclei absorbed in cancer cells (in-vitro tests) which can potentially be administered onto a deep-seated tumor and then bombarded with a proton beam typically used in hadrontherapy. As a consequence of the interaction of the proton beam with 11B nuclei, alpha-particles with low energy (around 4 MeV) are generated in the nuclear fusion events and ultimately stopped inside the tumor, thus releasing their entire energy in a single cancer cell. The macroscopic effect is enhanced biological damage of the tumor and treatment selectivity (simultaneously reduction of unwanted side effects on healthy tissues) compared to that caused only by the incoming protons. 

Both topics will be presented and discussed during the workshop with the goal of identifying current technological challenges and future steps, along with scientific and societal impact in the field of clean energy production and cancer treatment. The main objective of the workshop is to generate a task force of European scientific institutions for a potential EU application for funding.

Registration
Registration form
Participants
  • AMIT, Gal
  • BARBAGIOVANNI PISEIA, Alberto
  • BATANI, Dimitri
  • BATANI, Katarzyna
  • BEKX, John Jasper
  • BELLONI, Fabio
  • BLAHA, Pavel
  • BONASERA, Aldo
  • BONORA, Stefano
  • CAGNI, Beatrice Maria
  • CAI, Qiran
  • CAMMARATA, Francesco Paolo
  • CATALANO, Roberto
  • CHAUBARD, Arthur
  • CHEN, Ying
  • CIAMPI, Caterina
  • CIRRONE, Giuseppe Antonio Pablo
  • CONSOLI, Fabrizio
  • CONSOLI, Ferdinanda
  • CUTTONE, Giacomo
  • DAPONTA, Chrysovalanti
  • DI FINI, Andrea
  • ESPOSITO, Juan
  • FAROKHI, Fateme
  • FERBER, Yair
  • FROIO, Antonio
  • GAMMINO, Santo
  • GOLINELLI, Anna
  • GONZALEZ-IZQUIERDO, Bruno
  • GUARRERA, Mariacristina
  • HOFFMANN, Dieter H.H.
  • HUAULT, Marine
  • ISTOKSKAIA, Valeria
  • KORN, Georg
  • KURMANOVA, Alma
  • LABAUNE, Christine
  • LABAUNE, Gérard
  • LAMIA, LIVIO
  • LAVENU, Loïc
  • LEVATO, Tadzio
  • MANTI, Lorenzo
  • MARGARONE, Daniele
  • MATETI, Srikanth
  • MCKENZIE, Warren
  • MEHLHORN, Tom
  • MESSINA, Esteban Gustavo
  • MOUSTAIZIS, Stavros
  • NEACSU, Catalin
  • NICOLAÏ, Philippe
  • NISSIM, Noaz
  • ORECCHIA, Davide
  • PETRINGA, Giada
  • POMERANTZ, Ishay
  • RAFFESTIN, didier
  • RAJ, GAURAV
  • RIPANI, Marco
  • ROMANO, Stefano
  • RUHL, Hartmut
  • RUSSO, Giorgio
  • SCHOLLMEIER, Marius
  • SCHWEITZER, Yonatan
  • SHUKUROV, Andrey
  • SPEICHER, Martin
  • STEINKE, Sven
  • TENTORI, Alessandro
  • TORRISI, Filippo
  • TORRISI, Giuseppe
  • TOSCA, Marco
  • TUDISCO, Salvatore
  • TURCU, I.C. Edmond
  • VERONA, Claudio
    • 10:00 12:30
      Registration open 2h 30m Conference room (Four Points by Sheraton Catania)

      Conference room

      Four Points by Sheraton Catania

    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 14:10
    • 15:10 16:10
      Reaction schemes
      Convener: MARGARONE, Daniele (ELI-Beamlines, IoP-ASCR)
    • 16:10 16:30
      Coffee break 20m
    • 16:30 18:40
      Reaction schemes
      Convener: BATANI, Dimitri (CELIA - Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, Université de Bordeaux)
    • 19:00 21:00
      Welcome dinner
    • 09:30 10:00
      The COST action on proton-11B
      Convener: Dr BELLONI, Fabio (University of New South Wales)
      • 09:30
        INVITED TALK: Perspective on research on laser driven proton-boron fusion and applications 30m
        Speaker: Dr BATANI, Katarzyna (IFPILM)
    • 10:00 10:20
      Company report INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: Dr BELLONI, Fabio
      • 10:00
        Activity report from the HB11 Company 20m
    • 10:20 10:40
      Coffee break 20m
    • 10:40 12:30
      Theory and simulation INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Via S Sofia 62, Catania (I)
      Convener: Dr BELLONI, Fabio (University of New South Wales )
      • 10:40
        INVITED TALK: State of the art of numerical tools for simulating the proton-boron reactions and the α-particle production 30m
        Speaker: Dr NICOLAI, Philippe (CELIA, University of Bordeaux)
      • 11:10
        Effect of nuclear charge on laser-induced fusion enhancement 20m
        Speaker: Dr BEKX, John Jasper (Marvel Fusion)
      • 11:30
        Non-linear interaction dynamics of Ultra-short and Intense Laser pulses with near critical plasmas in nano-structured targets 20m
        Speaker: Dr RAJ, Gaurav (Marvel Fusion)
      • 11:50
        Double in-line plasma-mirror-based contrast enhanced laser-ion acceleration at the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications 20m
        Speaker: Mr SPEICHER, Martin (Marvel Fusion GmbH)
      • 12:10
        Wrap up by invited speakers and discussion 20m
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

    • 14:00 15:10
      INFN-LNS visit 1h 10m INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

    • 15:10 15:30
      Company report INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: CIRRONE, Pablo (INFN-LNS, , Universita` di Catania)
      • 15:10
        Activity report from the MARVEL Company 20m
    • 15:30 16:20
      Theory and simulation INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: CIRRONE, Pablo (INFN-LNS, , Universita` di Catania)
      • 15:30
        Proton and alpha stopping power in laser-generated plasma: a systematic study proposed within the FUSION project 20m
        Speaker: Dr CIAMPI, Caterina (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
      • 15:50
        INVITED TALK: Dynamics of fusion in laser produced non-equilibrated plasmas 30m
        Speaker: Dr BONASERA, Aldo (LNS)
    • 16:20 16:40
      Coffee break 20m
    • 16:40 17:40
      Theory and simulation
      Convener: CIRRONE, Pablo (INFN-LNS, , Universita` di Catania)
      • 16:40
        Probing kilo-Tesla magnetic fields in near-critical-density laser-plasma interactions 20m
        Speaker: Dr GONZALEZ-IZQUIERDO, Bruno (Marvel Fusion)
      • 17:00
        Parametric scan of plasma parameters for optimization of the avalanche process in p11B fusion 20m
        Speaker: Dr NISSIM, Noaz (Soreq NRC)
      • 17:20
        Wrap up by invited speakers and discussion 20m
    • 17:40 19:40
      Guided visit to the Catania city center 2h
    • 09:00 10:10
      Diagnostic and target
      Convener: MARGARONE, Daniele (Queen’s University Belfast, Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics)
      • 09:00
        INVITED TALK: Can plasma polymers serve as a source of hydrogen for laser-driven pB fusion? 30m
        Speaker: Prof. SHUKUROV, Andrey (Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics)
      • 09:30
        Characterization and developments of plasma polymer/BN targets for laser-driven pB fusion 20m
        Speaker: Mr TOSCA, Marco (ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics (FZU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia,)
      • 09:50
        Developing boron nitride nanomaterials for fusion reactions 20m
        Speaker: Dr MATETI, Srikanth (Deakin Univesity)
    • 10:10 10:30
      Company report INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: MARGARONE, Daniele (ELI-Beamlines, IoP-ASCR)
    • 10:30 10:50
      Coffee break 20m
    • 10:50 11:10
      Company report INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: MARGARONE, Daniele (ELI-Beamlines, IoP-ASCR)
    • 11:10 12:30
      Diagnostic and target
      Convener: MARGARONE, Daniele (Queen’s University Belfast, Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics)
      • 11:10
        Pulsed laser deposition of boron-based targets for p-11B studies 20m
        Speaker: Mr ORECCHIA, Davide (Politecnico di Milano)
      • 11:30
        Preparation of boron nanomaterials based targets for boron-proton reactions 20m
        Speaker: Prof. CHEN, Ying (Deakin Univesity)
      • 11:50
        Thermal properties of boron nitride nanostructures 20m
        Speaker: CAI, Qiran (Deakin University)
      • 12:10
        Wrap up by invited speakers and discussion 20m
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 15:00 20:30
      Tour to Taormina 5h 30m Taormina

      Taormina

    • 20:30 23:35
      Social dinner
    • 09:00 10:10
      Diagnostic and target
      Convener: TUDISCO, Salvatore (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
      • 09:00
        INVITED TALK: Characterisation of p-11B fusion reactions in laser-matter experiments 30m
        Speaker: Dr CONSOLI, Fabrizio (ENEA - Centro Ricerche Frascati)
      • 09:30
        Preliminary design of a Thomson Parabola Spectrometer for proton-Boron fusion beam initiated by laser 20m
        Speaker: Dr KURMANOVA, Alma (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Università di Catania)
      • 09:50
        Current state of Proton-Boron Fusion in plasma environment experiments at Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) 20m
        Speaker: Dr CAGNI, Beatrice Maria (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Università di Catania)
    • 10:10 10:30
      Coffee break 20m
    • 10:30 12:20
      Diagnostic and target
      Convener: TUDISCO, Salvatore (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
      • 10:30
        INVITED TALK: Using Deep Learning for Ions Detection with CR-39 in laser induced P11B fusion experimentsw 30m
        Speaker: Mr AMIT, Gal (Soreq NRC)
      • 11:00
        High sensitivity Thomson spectrometry in experiments of laser-driven low-rate neutron-less fusion reactions 20m
        Speaker: SCISCIO', Massimiliano (ENEA - Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety Department)
      • 11:20
        Time-of-flight diamond detectors for particle detection in laser driven p-B11 fusion experiments 20m
        Speaker: Prof. VERONA, Claudio (Università Tor Vergata di Roma)
      • 11:40
        Wrap up by invited speakers and discussion 20m
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m
    • 14:00 14:20
      Company report INFN-LNS

      INFN-LNS

      Convener: PETRINGA, Giada (INFN-LNS, ELI-Beamlines)
    • 14:20 15:40
      Applications
      Convener: PETRINGA, Giada (INFN-LNS, ELI-Beamlines)
    • 15:40 16:00
      Coffee break 20m
    • 16:00 17:00
      Applications
      Convener: PETRINGA, Giada (INFN-LNS, ELI-Beamlines)
      • 16:00
        In vitro and preclinical approaches of Proton Boron Capture Therapy for glioblastoma treatment 20m
        Speaker: Mr TORRISI, Filippo (University of Catania)
      • 16:20
        Technoeconomic model for laser driven hydrogen boron fusion energy generation 20m
        Speaker: Dr MCKENZIE, Warren (HB11 Energy Holdings Pty Ltd and UNSW Sydney)
      • 16:40
        Wrap up by invited speakers and discussion 20m
    • 17:00 17:10
      Closing remarks 10m