Inertial fusion

In 2007, experimental analysis of the Fast Ion Generation Experiment (FIGEX) [5.1-5.6] was completed and final results were presented at Current Trends In International Fusion Research: a Review (invited paper), March 2007, and at Inertial Fusion Science and Application, September 2007. FIGEX, supported by the EURATOM-ENEA Association, was designed in 2004 by the ENEA Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) group to explore the possibility of creating a multi-MeV/nucleon ion source based on the controlled amount of matter (CAM) concept. The experiment was performed with ultra-short laser pulses (pico-second regime) at the Central Laser Facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (CFL, RAL-UK) by ENEA in cooperation with local colleagues. The experimental activity being prepared at the Frascati ABC facility to study non-equilibrium processes in foam-like materials was postponed because a relevant number of professionals from the IFE group were appointed to ENEA internal evaluation activities during the last four months of 2007. Over the last three or four years the IFE community has widely turned attention to fast ignition and related short laser pulse applications. While this scenario was shaping up, an entirely civilian development for IFE was launched by CLF, RAL-UK in the framework of the High-Power Laser Energy Research, Road map (HiPER), ESFRI 2006, endorsed by France, seven EU countries at governmental or regional funding agency level, Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, Russia and the USA. In April 2007 the Italian Ministry of Research asked ENEA to coordinate Italian participation in the HiPER preparatory phase, with this outlook: Based on the results of this preparatory phase, and the priorities to be defined within the available budgetary frames, the possibility of an active participation in the implementation phase may be taken into consideration by our Ministry and/or other funding authorities. As a consequence, the participating national institutes are expected to launch new HiPER-relevant cooperative activities, to produce new technical skills and to update the existing national facilities