Opportunities for Collaboration in Heavy Ion Fusion*

The objective of research in thermonuclear fusion is to find an environmentally attractive technology for the production of electrical energy that is both universally available and economically competitive. The method of containing the hot, dense plasma known as Inertially Confined Fusion Energy (IFE) uses small targets containing the deuterium and tritium isotopes of hydrogen which are implosively compressed to achieve fusion conditions. Research to develop IFE has been conducted at a low level in a number of nations for about the last fifteen years. One approach, known as Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF), uses large, high energy accelerators based on concepts developed for basic research to deliver intense beams of ions to compress and ingnite the targets. The recently released Final Report of the Fusion Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC)[l’ of the USDOE, says that “Heavy Ion Accelerators are currently thought to be the most promising (drivers for IFE).” B ecause the driver is the most expensive element of an IFE system, research to develop lower cost, more efficient heavy ion drivers has the greatest potential payoff in the search for a practical approach to fusion energy.