Riemann's Contribution to Flight and Laser Fusion

work on the nonlinear mathematics and physics of plasmabeam injections—work that the FEF analysts had determinedto be qualitatively similar to Riemann's work.Furthermore, the FEF analysts had come to the generalconclusion that the type of fusion research involved inboth the development of the H-bomb and laser fusion—that is, inertial confinement fusion—represented the mostfruitful area of investigation for extending the frontiers ofbasic scientific research. The work and concepts of Riemann,moreover, would be essential for any theoreticalcomprehension of the processes and problems arising ininertial fusion research.When the FEF communicated this analysis to the leadingAmerican inertial fusion scientists, they responded quiteskeptically. However, Rudakov's subsequent announcementthat he had indeed achieved a significant experimentalbreakthrough triggered a storm of discussion andcontroversy in these scientific circles.The storm was heightened when Rudakov, during a July1976 visit to the United States, gave a series of publiclectures at the U.S. fusion labs describing how he hadutilized soft X-rays generated by the interaction of hiselectron beam with a thin gold foil to achieve minuteamounts of fusion reactions.When the FEF's Oct. 1976 Newsletter (the predecessorto Fusion magazine) and New Solidarity reported on thecontents of Rudakov's presentations and its implicationsfor the development of inertial fusion as an energy sourceas well as for military applications, the Rudakov revelationsbecame the subject of major news stories across theUnited States.During 1977 and 1978, the FEF obtained official U.S.government documents, under a Freedom of InformationAct request, that demonstrated that there had been aconcerted effort to suppress all evidence of Rudakov'spresentations. In particular, the documents showed thatthe attempted suppression was originally demanded byand to some extent directed by the Atomic WeaponsResearch Establishment of the British government.But it was not actually until Dec. 1978 that the FEFanalysts discovered the direct link between Riemann'swork and the development of the crucial concepts uponwhich both the H-bomb and inertial fusion are based. Thiswas an 1859 paper in which Riemann developed for thefirst time the concept of shock wave and then applied itto determine how to achieve the isentropic compressionof matter—the densification of matter without an increasein its entropy. 1 In order to achieve the supercompressionof matter to high densities—the most critical condition toproduce successful H-bombs and inertial fusion systems—it is essential that the entropy of the matter not increaseduring the compression.The relevance of Riemann's work to fusion, it should benoted, was pointed out 30 years before in the 1949 remarkof John von Neumann, one of the leading mathematicianswho worked with Edward Teller on the development ofDemystifying theScience of the H-BombThe physics involved in the various configurations ofhydrogen fusion weapons is described in detail for thefirst time in public literature in a new book titled ThePhysical Principles of Thermonuclear Explosive Devicesby the distinguished fusion scientist Dr. FriedwardtWinterberg. This book, published by the Fusion EnergyFoundation in August, describes the basic physicalprinciples upon which the most concentrated energysource—inertial confinement fusion—as well as themost destructive weapon are based. As Winterbergexplains in the introduction, his purpose in writing thebook was to demonstrate thatthere are no secrets surrounding thermonuclearexplosive devices and that all the basic physics isaccessible in the open, published scientific literature.. . .My purpose is not to be sensational but, rather,to demystify the secret of the H-bomb. For it is notthe secret of the H-bomb that protects us fromthermonuclear annihilation but, rather, the correctpolitical decisions by our leaders. To cover up theirown political inability it is, of course, understandablethat governments try to make their peoplebelieve it is secrets that protect them. I hope thauthe publication of this book will not only contributein demystifying the whole business of secrets,but also make the public aware that a belief insecrets is dangerous, wishful thinking.The FEF is publishing Winterberg's remarkable bookon the physics of thermonuclear explosions to makeaccessible to working scientists outside the classifiedgovernment programs, as well as to the layman, thescientific principles that are the basis of the mostpromising energy source of the future—controlled fusion,in particular inertial confinement fusion.The Physical Principles of Thermonuclear ExplosiveDevices can be ordered from the FEF for $11.50 postpaid.44 FUSION October-Novembe1981