Heavy ion beams for inertial confinement fusion and recent experimental results

Methods to confine the fuel during the burn phase, magnetic confinement fusion (MCF), and inertial confinement fusion (ICF), are now believed to be technically feasible. Recent advances in laser fusion, and the progress toward high gain laser fusion considerably raise the probability, that it will be a laser driver to ignite the first high gain fusion pellet under laboratory conditions. The high efficiency (25%) and proven reliability of accelerators, as well as their ability to deliver high intensity beam pulses at a high repetition rate (≥1 Hz) are main assets of ion driven fusion. High energy density in matter induced by heavy ion beams is summarized, followed by an overview of development of plasma lenses for focusing of heavy ion beams and a discussion of energy loss in a dense Z-pinch plasma. (R.P.) 23 refs.; 8 figs