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Our calculations suggest that experiments relating to disk heating, as well as beam deposition, focusing and transport can be performed within the context of current design proposals for accelerator test-facilities. Since the test-facilities have lower ion kinetic energy and beam pulse power as compared to reactor drivers, we achieve high-beam intensities at the focal spot by using short focal distance and properly designed beam optics. In this regard, the low beam emittance of suggested multi-beam designs(l, 2) are very useful. Preliminary results suggest that intensities close to 1014 W/cm2 are achievable. Given these intensities, deposition experiments with heating of disks to greater than a million degrees Kelvin (100 eV) are expected. We could also expect as much as 1–3 kA of incident ion current on these disks with beam intensities almost comparable to that of reactor targets. Thus, if any anomalous plasma effects on deposition emerge, the conditions should be available for testing some of them. We might also note that these deposition experiments have low ion kinetic energy per nucléon. About 4–5 MeV/nucleon is achievable if lighter ions such as sodium were used. But for lighter ions, plasma effects in deposition might be more severe because heavy-ion beams are more "stiff". [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A double shelled, split fuel layer target with an outer hydro tamper surrounding the low Z absorber has been designed for ion beam drivers. Results from 1-D computer calculations predict a 5 GeV heavy ion beam could produce gains in excess of 200. The behavior of thi s target as a funct ion of ion range, tamper thickness and spot size has been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we review the power, voltage, energy and other requirements of electron and ion beam fusion targets. We discuss single shell, multiple shell and magnetically insulated target designs. Questions of stability are also considered. In particular, we show that ion beam targets are stabilized by an energy spread in the ion beam. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Use of double shell targets with a separate low Z, low density ablator at large radius for the outer shell, reduces the focusing and power requirements while maintaining reasonable aspect ratios. A high Z, high density pusher shell is placed at a much smaller radius in order to obtain an aspect ratio small enough to protect against fluid instability. Velocity multiplication between these shells further lowers the power requirements. Careful tuning of the power profile and intershell density results in a low entropy implosion which allows breakeven at low powers. Ion beams appear to be a promising power source and breakeven at 10–20 Terrawatts with 10 MeV alpha particles appears feasible. Predicted performance of targets with various energy sources is shown and comparison is made with single shell targets. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]