Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

KrF laser path to high gain ICF (inertial confinement fusion) laboratory microfusion facility

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6631344

The krypton-fluoride laser has many desirable features for inertial confinement fusion. Because it is a gas laser capable of operation with high efficiency, it is the only known laser candidate capable of meeting the driver requirements for inertial fusion energy (IFE) production. Los Alamos National Laboratory has defined a program plan to develop KrF lasers for IFE production. This plan develops the KrF laser and demonstrates the target performance in single-pulse facilities. A 100-kJ Laser Target Test Facility (LTTF) is proposed as the next step, to be followed by a 3 to 10-MJ Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF). The LTTF will resolve many target physics issues and accurately define the driver energy required for the LMF. It is also proposed that the technology development for IFE, such as the high-efficiency, high-reliability, repetitively pulsed driver, the reactor, mass production of targets, and the mechanism of injecting targets be developed in parallel with the single-pulse facilities. 11 refs., 4 figs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/DP
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6631344
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-90-2887; CONF-900918--3; ON: DE90016439
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English