Inertial confinement fusion

Inertial confinement fusion compresses and heats a small fusion-fuel target so the target’s inertia holds the plasma together briefly, allowing fusion reactions to occur.

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: An inertial-fusion scheme in which laser light strikes the fuel capsule directly to drive its implosion. It compresses the capsule without an intervening hohlraum.
Deuterium–tritium fusion: A fusion reaction between deuterium and tritium that produces a helium-4 nucleus, a neutron, and 17.6 MeV of energy. This reaction is the principal energy source in most inertial-fusion targets.
National Ignition Facility: A high-energy laser research facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Its experiments demonstrated target-level fusion energy gain in inertial confinement.
Magnetic confinement fusion: Fusion research that uses magnetic fields to confine hot plasma for comparatively long durations. It seeks sustained confinement rather than a brief, inertia-supported implosion.
Nuclear weapons stewardship: The use of scientific modeling and experiments to assess and maintain the reliability of nuclear arsenals without nuclear explosive testing. Inertial-fusion facilities also study extreme conditions relevant to weapons research.
Indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion: An inertial-fusion scheme in which laser energy heats a cavity that emits X-rays to implode the fuel capsule. It uses cavity-generated X-rays rather than direct laser illumination to drive compression.
Inertial confinement: Confinement in which a system’s inertia keeps matter together for a limited time despite expansion or dispersal forces. The fusion approach relies on the fuel’s short-lived resistance to expansion.
NIF ignition experiment of 2022: A National Ignition Facility experiment that produced more fusion energy from its target than laser energy delivered to it. It marked a target-level energy-gain milestone, not net energy gain for the whole facility.
Tokamak: A toroidal device that uses magnetic fields to confine plasma for fusion research. Tokamaks pursue magnetic confinement instead of compressing a disposable target.
High-energy-density physics: The study of matter at pressures and energy densities comparable to those in stars, planetary interiors, and nuclear explosions. Inertial-fusion experiments generate laboratory states that belong to this broader field.

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