Atomic processes and nuclear reactions of ion beams in dense plasmas

Investigating atomic processes and nuclear reactions in dense plasmas, and exploring the complex many-body correlations among particles in plasma environments, is fundamental to understanding basic physical processes in astrophysical and fusion plasmas. This paper summarizes key advances in atomic processes during the interaction between ion beams and dense plasmas. When carbon ions traverse a plasma with a density of 4× 10^20/cm^3 the target-density effect increases the mean charge state of the outgoing ions; dielectronic recombination reduces the charge-state distribution and shortens the charge-equilibration time; collective effects induced by intense ion beams in dense plasmas enhance energy loss; and ion excited states contribute significantly to beam energy deposition. The paper also reviews important achievements in plasma nuclear reactions: theoretical and experimental results on the electron-screening potential in plasmas remain discrepant; self-calibrated measurements of nuclear reaction cross sections can mitigate errors arising from plasma instabilities; proton-boron fusion yields in boron plasmas have been reported to increase by approximately two orders of magnitude; and microstructured targets are expected to further enhance the proton-boron fusion yield by about a factor of six.