Inertial confinement fusion: a defence context

Abstract

Almost 30 years since the last UK nuclear test, it remains necessary regularly to underwrite the safety and effectiveness of the National Nuclear Deterrent. To do so has been possible to date because of the development of continually improving science and engineering tools running on ever more powerful high-performance computing platforms, underpinned by cutting-edge experimental facilities. While some of these facilities, such as the Orion laser, are based in the UK, others are accessed by international collaboration. This is most notably with the USA via capabilities such as the National Ignition Facility, but also with France where a joint hydrodynamics facility is nearing completion following establishment of a Treaty in 2010. Despite the remarkable capability of the science and engineering tools, there is an increasing requirement for experiments as materials age and systems inevitably evolve further from what was specifically trialled at underground nuclear tests (UGTs). The data from UGTs will remain the best possible representation of the extreme conditions generated in a nuclear explosion, but it is essential to supplement these data by realizing new capabilities that will bring us closer to achieving laboratory simulations of these conditions. For high-energy-density physics, the most promising technique for generating temperatures and densities of interest is inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Continued research in ICF by the UK will support the certification of the deterrent for decades to come; hence the UK works closely with the international community to develop ICF science. UK Ministry of Defence © Crown Owned Copyright 2020/AWE. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

Influence of non‐uniform magnetic field on relativistic q‐Gaussian laser pulses propagating in magnetized plasmas

“…In the recent years with the advent of high-power lasers, theoretical and experimental studies of the interaction of intense laser pulses with plasmas are active areas of research due to their applications in the fields of plasma wakefields, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), [9][10][11] fusion harmonics generation, [12,13] X-ray lasers, [14,15] and laser fusion. [16][17][18] In addition, the interaction of intense laser pulse with plasma can lead to a number of nonlinear effects including, self-focusing, [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] self-compression, [26][27][28] Raman and Brillouin scattering instabilities, [29] as well as modulational and filamentational instabilities.…”

Astronomy Domine: advancing science with a burning plasma

“…There is a difference of opinion within the ICF community as to what energy is required to ignite a target (e.g. Rose, Hatfield and Scott 2020 [7], Randewich et al 2020 [8]). Currently the consensus is that 10MJ will probably allow this to take place, but potentially an energy less than this could work.…”

Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the second edition

“…In Part I of this special issue devoted to the prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy [1], compelling arguments were put forward to study the underlying physics of inertial confinement fusion from both the fundamental physics perspective [2] and for underpinning the two nations' (the UK and the USA) independent nuclear stockpile stewardship programmes, in the absence of underground testing [3]. A review of the current-day electricity market in the USA then followed, indicating smaller-scale fusion devices are more likely to be compatible with future power needs in order to supplement those provided by renewable sources [4].…”