Light Ions for Fast Ignition of Fusion Fuels
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2011 — Because of greater efficiency and ease of production, light ions such as lithium or carbon have become the focus for fast ignition of fusion fuels.
The fast ignition concept is an alternative approach to nuclear fusion energy. In the fast ignitor scenario, a high-energy particle beam, driven by an ultrashort-pulse laser, is deposited into a precompressed deuterium-tritium fuel capsule, creating a "hot spot" with temperature and density parameters suitable for ignition, approximately 10...