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Appendix H: Summary from the Report of the Panel on the Assessment of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Targets (Unclassified Version)
Pages 210-218

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From page 210...
... to focus on issues specific to fusion targets, including the results of relevant classified experiments and classified information on the implications of IFE targets for the proliferation of nuclear weapons. This is the report of the Panel on Fusion Target Physics, which is intended to feed into the broader assessment of IFE being done by the NRC committee.
From page 211...
... and propagate the burn via alpha particle deposition through adjacent high-density fuel regions, thereby generating a significant energy output. There are two major concepts for inertial confinement fusion target design: direct-drive targets, in which the driver energy strikes directly on the fuel capsule, and indirect-drive targets, in which the driver energy first strikes the inside surface of a hollow chamber (a hohlraum)
From page 212...
... A much better understanding of LPI will be required of the ICF community. CONCLUSION 4-2: Based on its analysis of the gaps in current understanding of target physics and the remaining disparities between simulations and experi mental results, the panel assesses that ignition using laser indirect drive is not likely in the next several years.
From page 213...
... Targets for Direct-Drive Laser Inertial Fusion Energy CONCLUSION 4-6: The prospects for ignition using laser direct drive have improved enough that it is now a plausible alternative to laser indirect drive for achieving ignition and for generating energy. • The major concern with laser direct drive has been the difficulty of achieving the symmetry required to drive such targets.
From page 214...
... Laser-Plasma Interactions A variety of LPI take place when an intense laser pulse hits the target capsule or surrounding hohlraum. Undesirable effects include backscattering of laser light, which can result in loss of energy; cross-beam energy transfer among intersecting laser beams, which can cause loss of energy or affect implosion symmetry; accel eration of suprathermal "hot electrons," which then can penetrate and preheat the capsule's interior and limit later implosion; and filamentation, a self-focusing instability that can exacerbate other LPI.
From page 215...
... • The HIF program relating to advanced target designs is in a very early stage and is unlikely to be ready for technical assessment in the near term. • The development of driver technology will take several years, and the cost to build a significant accelerator driver facility for any target is likely to be very high.
From page 216...
... and to generate large fusion yields at low repetition rates. Target Fabrication Current targets for inertial confinement fusion experiments tend to be one-off designs, with specifications that change according to the experiments being run.
From page 217...
... This broader analysis led the panel to the following overarching conclusions and a recommendation. OVERARCHING CONCLUSION 1: The NIF has the potential to support the development and further validation of physics and engineering models relevant to several IFE concepts, from indirect-drive hohlraum designs to polar direct drive ICF and shock ignition.
From page 218...
... Further R&D will be needed on indirect drive and other ICF concepts, even following successful ignition at the NIF, to determine the best path for IFE in the coming decades.


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