Direct energy input to compressor for inertial confinement fusion

An effective method for driving ICF pellet compression is proposed where neither laser beam nor charged particle beam is necessary but rather high electric pulse power is directly input into a vacant space between a shell tamper and its enclosed pellet. Electrons emitted from the pellet surface produce a dense, hot plasma on the inner side of the tamper. Photons and particles of the plasma irradiate the pelletsurface and give rise to an effective ablation-driven compression. This direct energy input to compressor (DEIC) can be done efficiently and makes it easier to picture an ICF reactor. (author)