Ion Tail Formation and Its Effect on 14-MeV Neutron Generation in D-³He Plasmas

The triton distribution function in D-³He plasmas is distorted from a Maxwellian owing to the presence of a 1.01-MeV birth component. The deuteron-triton reaction rate (i.e., 14-MeV neutron generation rate) in the plasma should be smaller than the values evaluated by assuming a Maxwellian triton distribution. A local Fokker-Planck calculation shows that although the degree of the decrease in 14-MeV neutron generation strongly depends on the plasma conditions and also on the energy loss mechanism, it becomes appreciable in actual burning plasmas.