Laser-fusion employing direct nuclear pumped lasers

This chapter describes Direct Nuclear Pumped Lasers (NPLs) that employ neutrons to pump gas lasers by creating MeV-charged particles in the laser cavity through nuclear reactions. Use of neutrons from a fusion-pellet microexplosion would avoid the inefficiencies and cost of converting the neutron energy to electrical energy as required for conventional lasers. A deuterium-rich advanced-fuel (D-D-T) pellet is proposed for this ''feedback-type'' operation. The resulting reduction in tritium breeding requirements makes more neutrons available for pumping the NPL when used as the driver for an inertial confinement fusion reactor. Possible applications in fusion-fission hybrid systems are noted