THXA03
LBNL, Berkeley, California, USA
Ever since the beginning of inertial fusion research in the 1970's, when proposals to use lasers to implode mm-scale capsules containing deuterium-tritium fusion fuel for energy were first published, the world's accelerator community has been convinced that large heavy-ion particle accelerators, either induction or RF, linear or rings, could also be designed to deliver megajoules of ions in times of order 1 -10 nanoseconds to drive inertial fusion targets at the several Hz pulse rates, brightnesses, efficiencies, and durabilities required for energy. Funding for such intended accelerator development, however, has been held in abeyance pending the outcome of laser fusion ignition tests in the US National Ignition Facility. Target designs set the requirements for heavy ion accelerator designs. The status of NIF's ignition campaign, and implications for several combinations of accelerator and target design options for heavy ion inertial fusion, will be discussed.
