“Lively’s shotgun would inject into the reactor a spray of millimeter-wide tungsten particles to intercept the runaway electrons,” explained LANL.

Notably, tungsten, chosen for its exceptional strength and high melting point, is already a key component in reactor wall construction.

Promising results
Extensive simulations conducted by Lively have shown the efficacy of the tungsten shotgun approach. The injected tungsten particles effectively collide with runaway electrons, absorbing their energy and deflecting them from their destructive trajectories.

Results indicate that the runaway electron beam is neutralized almost instantaneously upon contact with the tungsten particles.