The paper describes the structure of the ICF program and highlights its latest results. The pre-construction activities of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) project have increased their momentum as a result of the recent Congressional decision to appropriate the requested funds for Fiscal Year 1997 to continue the project. The facility is an essential part of United States nuclear defense program in the absence of underground testing. The near-term goal of the U.S. ICF program is to achieve ignition in the laboratory (i.e. NIF) and to achieve high yield in the future. This paper describes some current results in ignition physics and related areas, as well as the progress in some new concepts that may have application to high yield. International collaborations that have been developed in recent years have contributed to the increased rate of progress. The paper closes with a summary of current and planned international initiatives.

Date Published: 8 December 1997
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 3047, Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference, (8 December 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.294243

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3047:
Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference
Michel L. Andre, Editor(s)