Voyage of the Stars

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

The materials or fuels that can produce cold nuclear fusion are a technology developed from this theory after the continued development of condensed matter physics.

Cold fusion, as the name suggests, is a type of nuclear fusion that is achieved at a different temperature than thermonuclear fusion.

In the history of the development of human science, the definition of cold nuclear fusion is probably a nuclear fusion reaction carried out at low temperature or even normal temperature. This situation is a conceptual hypothesis put forward for thermonuclear fusion, that is, the thermonuclear reaction inside a star.

However, this "cold" is very sophisticated. After reading the Kuntai civilization's detailed description of cold nuclear fusion, it is low temperature but not the normal temperature that humans think of.

How low is it?

The temperature at which this condensed matter undergoes cold nuclear fusion must be below minus 200 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is higher, this condensed matter will lose some magical quantum effects, and then lose the ability to produce nuclear fusion.

It is conceivable that in order for this condensed matter to undergo nuclear fusion reaction, it must be kept at an extremely low temperature. Kuntai Civilization's method is to use liquid nitrogen.

Human beings have discovered that the cold nuclear fusion engine of Kuntai civilization is roughly like this. When the fusion reaction of condensed matter occurs, it must heat up due to the energy released by nuclear fusion. Therefore, while nuclear fusion occurs, liquid nitrogen must be used. It keeps cooling down.

The particle jet produced by the fusion reaction will blast the liquid nitrogen into elemental nitrogen and be ejected backward together with the particles produced by the nuclear fusion, thereby providing a strong reaction force for the engine.

In other words, if you want to maintain cold nuclear fusion, you must have a large amount of refrigerant, and this refrigerant is still being consumed.

This is completely inconsistent with the needs of an engine, because the more refrigerant, the heavier the spacecraft will be. Using this technology in a thruster is essentially the same as a chemical rocket, it is just a more powerful version.

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

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

The essence of nuclear fusion is the fusion of elements with a small nucleon number into elements with a large nucleon number.

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

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

Obviously, whether it is condensed matter or catalysts that can send cold nuclear fusion, they are not naturally occurring things and must be made artificially.

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

It's very magical, completely different from what humans imagine.

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

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

As long as the contact range between the catalyst and the condensed matter is controlled, or the mixing method is controlled, the condensed matter can immediately undergo a fusion reaction and then emit huge energy.

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

The thruster made by Kuntai Civilization based on this cold nuclear fusion principle is called a cold nuclear pulse thruster.

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

Obviously, the so-called cold nuclear pulse thruster achieves kinetic energy propulsion in the form of pulses. Well, in other words, it provides power to the aircraft in the form of nuclear explosions.

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 long-term sustained high temperature. The material requirements for the tail of the thruster are not as high as those of thermonuclear explosions. As long as the impact resistance is good enough, Materials that can be used as cold nuclear pulse thrusters.

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

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

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

As a cold nuclear fusion realized by both fuel and catalyst, its reaction amount is controllable, that is to say, the more condensed matter is placed, the more energy it produces by instant fusion, and the stronger the pulse.

Not only that, the products produced by this fusion are not only particle jets with a speed of 15% of light, but also plasma flows that account for an extremely large proportion.

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

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

Kuntai civilization officially failed to break through this threshold, so it was unable to use this engine to break through the 15% light speed limit.

And since it is a pulse thruster, its limitation is also 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 humans.

Judging from the comparison of data, it is entirely possible to break through this threshold with humanity's current material technology.

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

Materials that are completely suitable for withstanding high-intensity pulse impacts seem to be completely designed for humans to use cold nuclear pulse thrusters.

Xu Zhenyi didn't know if other civilizations didn't have other ways to produce such powerful materials, but humans had this high-strength material just because of the wreckage of the spacecraft on Callisto.

I don’t know if I’m lucky or unlucky.

In short, if this technology is real, then it is very possible for humans to develop cold nuclear pulse thrusters.

what does that mean?

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

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