Present Status and Future Prospects of Laser Fusion and Related High Energy Density Plasma Research

Abstract

The present status and future prospects of the laser fusion research and related laser plasma physics are reviewed. In laser fusion research, giant lasers for ignition and burn by imploding DT fuel pellets are under construction at LLNL (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) and CEA, France. In Japan , the Gekko XII and the Peta Watt laser system have been operated to investigate the implosion hydrodynamics, fast ignition, and the relativistic laser plasma interactions and a new project; FIREX( Fast Ignition Realization Experiment) had started toward the ignition and burn at the Institute of laser Engineering of Osaka University. Recently, heating experiments with cone shell target have been carried out. The thermal neutron yield is found to increase by three orders of magnitude by the peta watt laser injection to the cone shell target. The FIREX‐I is planned according to this experimental results, where multi 10kJ peta watt laser is used to heat compressed DT fuel to the ignition temperature. The FIREX‐II will follow for demonstrating ignition and burn, in which the implosion laser and heating laser are up‐graded.