Proton the particles in the solar wind are electrons and protons, in approximately equal numbers. Protons also have extrasolar origin from galactic cosmic rays, where they make up about 90% of the total particle flux. These protons often have higher energy than solar wind protons, and their intensity is far more uniform and less variable than protons coming from the Sun, the production of which is heavily affected by solar proton events such as coronal mass ejections. Research has been performed on the dose-rate effects of protons, as typically found in space travel, on human health. To be more specific, there
Aneutronic fusion concentrate on the reaction, p–B. The fusion of a boron nucleus with a proton (hydrogen ion) produces slow-moving helium particles but no neutrons or radioactive waste. One method of producing proton-boron fusion uses one laser to create a boron-11 plasma and another to create a stream of protons that smash into the plasma. The laser-generated proton beam produces a tenfold increase of boron fusion because protons and boron nuclei collide directly. Earlier methods used a solid boron target, "protected" by its electrons, which reduced the fusion rate. This method releases energy directly as electricity without requiring conversion from heat. Experiments