Turning Point in the US Inertial Confinement Fusion Program.

摘要

The goal of the US ICF Program is to obtain a high-yield (100 to 1000 MJ) and high-gain (about 100) thermonuclear fusion capability in the laboratory. It has long been recognized that before such a laboratory facility is constructed, it must be demonstrated that laboratory conditions can be created that will, with high probability, lead to high gain if a driver of sufficient energy is built and that such a facility can be built at reasonable cost. Thus, the two major aspects of the US program address target physics and driver development. Four main driver candidates are actively being pursued: solid state lasers (principally Nd:glass), KrF gas lasers, light ion beams (Li ions accelerated by ion diodes), and heavy ion beams )A /approximately/200, accelerated by linear induction accelerator). The target physics aspect of the program is further divided into indirect and direct drive targets. In indirect drive targets the driver beams are aimed at a material near the capsule to generate x-rays, which then are absorbed in the fusion capsule ablator to produce the implosion. In direct-drive targets, the driver beams are aimed at the surface of the capsule. However, even in this case it should be recognized that the beam energy is deposited in the plasma surrounding the capsule, then transported to the ablation surface by electrons. Experimental target physics results recently obtained, principally for indirect-drive targets, have led to high confidence that a suitably-shaped 10 MJ pulse is sufficient to achieve high-gain and yields of 100 to 1000 MJ will result. 7 figs. (ERA citation 13:047976)