The prospect for fusion energy with light ions

Intense ion beams may be the best option for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) driver. While light ions may be the long-term pulsed power approach to IFE, the current economic climate is such that there is no urgency in developing fusion energy sources. Research on light ion beams at Sandia will be suspended at the end of this fiscal year in favor of Z-pinches studying ICF target physics, high yield fusion, and stewardship issues. We document the status of light ion research and our understanding of the feasibility of scaling light ions to IFE.