A distributed radiator, heavy ion target driven by Gaussian beams in a multibeam illumination geometry

An inertial confinement fusion target driven by ion beams in a multibeam illumination geometry is presented. Two dimensional integrated LASNEX calculations (ion beam deposition to fusion burn in one computer simulation) predict a gain of greater than 65 for this target. Each beam has a Gaussian density profile and is focused to an elliptically shaped spot. Multiple beam ellipses are overlayed to form an annulus on the end of the cylindrical hohlraum. The beams enter at angles relative to the cylindrical axis of the hohlraum that are consistent with both liquid wall chamber protection and the space required for a final focusing system upstream. For an accelerator that is 25% efficient (eta = 0.25), a gain G of 65 leads to eta G greater than 16; a reactor with a reasonably small recirculating power fraction requires eta G greater than 8-10.