Principles of laser confinement fusion

In these lectures the general features of thermonuclear burning and of implosion hydrodynamics are first treated, including the problems caused by possible hydrodynamic instabilities. Several features arising from the laser-plasma interaction are then reviewed, together with their important consequences for pellet design and performance. Finally, some aspects of an alternate approach to inertial confinement fusion, i.e. the use of heavy-ion beams, are considered. (Auth.)