Inertial confinement

Abstract

The paper reviews the present status of the available key technologies for implosion experiments as regards the energy driver, pellet fabrication, diagnostics of dense and hot plasmas, and numerical simulations. It is shown that the development of the necessary conditions is well advanced so that it is now possible to proceed to the next step in the achievement of ignition and break-even. Various design studies for inertial confinement fusion reactors are also reviewed; from these studies it has become clear that inertial confinement fusion and magnetic confinement fusion are technologically complementary systems for future fusion reactors.

Inertial confinement fusion driven by long wavelength electromagnetic pulses

“…The mechanisms responsible for energy loss by the beam electrons in the target plasma are generally binary coulomb collisions with the target electrons and ions, and excitation of plasma oscillations. In addition, some evidence of enhanced deposition due to beam-plasma instabilities has been reported [10] , but the practical effect needs more investigation. The burn material may consist of two layers.…”