Pinch-based thermonuclear D3He fusion driven by a femtosecond laser

A new thermonuclear-fusion concept involving inertial-magnetic confinement on the basis of a high-current Z pinch and employing a powerful femtosecond laser is proposed. The possibility of implementing this scheme for the production of energy in a compressed liner consisting of a (DHe)-He-3 fuel contained inside a Be-9 shell is considered. It is shown that the concerted effect of the electric discharge along the liner and an ultrashort laser shot at one of the liner endfaces provides preconditions for an ultrafast ignition of a small portion of the fuel and for the onset of the propagation of a burn wave along a plasma filament. Under favorable conditions, this system provides an energy gain of about 50, the contribution of the neutron component here being only a few percent. Basic mechanisms of the heating and confinement of the (DHe)-He-3 fuel are discussed along with the problem of convenient gamma-ray plasma diagnostics.