U.S. Inertial Confinement Fusion Program Experiments: Results & Implications

Abstract

During 1987 and 1988, several experiments were performed by a number of participants in the US Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program, resulting in the consensus that the basic concept of indirect-drive ICF has been experimentally validated. To assist the program in evaluating this new state of knowledge, the US Dept. of Energy convened a group of independent reviewers who assessed these results in late 1988. They identified additional areas which require investigation before a decision can be made to construct the next large ICF facility. However, they did conclude that such physics data could be acquired within the 5-yr time frame with the appropriate upgrade of present facilities. They also found that the ICF Program's present efforts to plan for a high-gain Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF) during the late 1990s are highly appropriate. >