Inertial confinement fusion

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a fusion energy process that initiates nuclear fusion reactions by compressing and heating targets filled with fuel. The targets are small pellets, typically containing deuterium (²H) and tritium (³H).

Energy is deposited in the target's outer layer, which explodes outward. This produces a reaction force in the form of shock waves that travel through the target. The waves compress and heat it. Sufficiently powerful shock waves generate fusion.

ICF is one of two major branches of fusion energy research; the other is magnetic confinement fusion (MCF). When first proposed in the early 1970s, ICF appeared to be a practical approach to power production and the field flourished. Experiments demonstrated that the efficiency of these devices was much lower than expected. Throughout the 1980s and '90s, experiments were conducted in order to understand the interaction of high-intensity laser light and plasma. These led to the design of much larger machines that achieved ignition-generating energies.

The largest operational ICF experiment is the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the US. In 2022, the NIF produced fusion, delivering 2.05 megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target which produced 3.15 MJ, the first time that an ICF device produced more energy than was delivered to the target.^[1]^[2]

^ "National Ignition Facility achieves fusion ignition". Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
^ Adrienne Vogt; Mike Hayes; Ella Nilsen; Elise Hammond (2022-12-13). "December 13, 2022 US officials announce nuclear fusion breakthrough". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-14.

[1] "National Ignition Facility achieves fusion ignition". Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Retrieved 2022-12-13.

[2] Adrienne Vogt; Mike Hayes; Ella Nilsen; Elise Hammond (2022-12-13). "December 13, 2022 US officials announce nuclear fusion breakthrough". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-14.

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