Physics principles of inertial confinement fusion and U.S. program overview

The quest for controlled fusion has been ongoing since the middle of the last century. Recently, however, there have been great strides in inertial confinement fusion, a method based on creating high energy densities through implosions. This review covers the three major approaches being pursued in the U.S., discussing key concepts, principles, and technical challenges.

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• NY
  New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
• UO
  University of Rochester
• NN
  National Nuclear Security Administration

  Awards: DE-NA-0003525, DE-NA0001944, DE-NA0003856
• FE
  Fusion Energy Sciences

  Award: DE-FC02-04ER54789