design of the laser fusion reactor limits the maximum energy of laser pulse less than
5 MJ as explained in Vol. 2, it is required to demonstrate a medium gain with enough
ignition with the scale of the NIF class energy. If the laser energy required for fusion
reactor is more than 2 ~ 3 times the NIF, it may be difficult to control the fusion
output for continuous electricity production with about 10 Hz operation, 10 laser
shots per second. The laser fusion is still the stage of science and not engineering
even at the present time after a half century from Nuckolls paper. In addition,
thermodynamic properties of WDM and HED states are not well understood as
well as the physics of transports in such extreme states. All of such physics are
required to know the physical phenomena in the universe, and it is suggested that the
physics of laser plasma is still a challenging subject.
It should be noted that the biggest laser NIF is funded to promote the sciencebased stockpile stewardship (SBSS) [11]. A variety of experiment has been carried
out with NIF laser to study the main topics of SBSS. They are the equation of states,
material opacities, radiation hydrodynamics, and shock physics of high-energy
density state of matters [12]. At the same time, the development of computer
codes to simulate the physics has been promoted intensively by developing super
computers. The verification and validation of developed codes are one of the most
important activities in comparing the related experimental data. The project aims at
the prediction capability of HEDP dynamics and phenomena.
1.1.3 Ultra-Intense and Ultra-Short Lasers
Laser scientists have worked for new method to increase the laser power to TW and
higher with compact laser system. Application of the concept of CPA used for radar
to optical range had been carried out. As shown in Fig. 1.9, using the technique with
two grating plates, a laser pulse is expanded in time, amplified, and finally
compressed. This CPA technique allows the construction of a compact TW laser
system in the mid-1980s. The CPA technique was also used for a large facility
NOVA, and two beams of NOVA were converted to PW laser with 1 ps and 1 kJ in
the mid of 1990s. Such short pulse and ultra-intense laser is used to study the laser
wakefield acceleration, photonuclear interaction physics, QED positron production,
etc. Such topics are discussed in Volume 3 in this series. The science of extreme state
of matter and vacuum is now studied in many laboratories with CPA lasers. The
facilities PW lasers are reviewed by Danson et al. at the stage of 2019 [13].
ICF experiment continues to be carried out with NIF, and 50 kJ of fusion energy
production has been reported [14]. In such experiment, it is found that the fusion
product alpha particles provide additional heating in the compressed core to enhance
the fusion yield by three times over due to heating by implosion. In addition, model
experiments of radiation hydrodynamics, equation of state, nuclear physics, and the
astrophysics in laboratory have been studied.
The biggest three facilities for science research with CPA ultra-intense lasers are
almost ready to start experiments at three countries with several lasers of 1–10 PW
8
1 Introduction
5 MJ as explained in Vol. 2, it is required to demonstrate a medium gain with enough
ignition with the scale of the NIF class energy. If the laser energy required for fusion
reactor is more than 2 ~ 3 times the NIF, it may be difficult to control the fusion
output for continuous electricity production with about 10 Hz operation, 10 laser
shots per second. The laser fusion is still the stage of science and not engineering
even at the present time after a half century from Nuckolls paper. In addition,
thermodynamic properties of WDM and HED states are not well understood as
well as the physics of transports in such extreme states. All of such physics are
required to know the physical phenomena in the universe, and it is suggested that the
physics of laser plasma is still a challenging subject.
It should be noted that the biggest laser NIF is funded to promote the sciencebased stockpile stewardship (SBSS) [11]. A variety of experiment has been carried
out with NIF laser to study the main topics of SBSS. They are the equation of states,
material opacities, radiation hydrodynamics, and shock physics of high-energy
density state of matters [12]. At the same time, the development of computer
codes to simulate the physics has been promoted intensively by developing super
computers. The verification and validation of developed codes are one of the most
important activities in comparing the related experimental data. The project aims at
the prediction capability of HEDP dynamics and phenomena.
1.1.3 Ultra-Intense and Ultra-Short Lasers
Laser scientists have worked for new method to increase the laser power to TW and
higher with compact laser system. Application of the concept of CPA used for radar
to optical range had been carried out. As shown in Fig. 1.9, using the technique with
two grating plates, a laser pulse is expanded in time, amplified, and finally
compressed. This CPA technique allows the construction of a compact TW laser
system in the mid-1980s. The CPA technique was also used for a large facility
NOVA, and two beams of NOVA were converted to PW laser with 1 ps and 1 kJ in
the mid of 1990s. Such short pulse and ultra-intense laser is used to study the laser
wakefield acceleration, photonuclear interaction physics, QED positron production,
etc. Such topics are discussed in Volume 3 in this series. The science of extreme state
of matter and vacuum is now studied in many laboratories with CPA lasers. The
facilities PW lasers are reviewed by Danson et al. at the stage of 2019 [13].
ICF experiment continues to be carried out with NIF, and 50 kJ of fusion energy
production has been reported [14]. In such experiment, it is found that the fusion
product alpha particles provide additional heating in the compressed core to enhance
the fusion yield by three times over due to heating by implosion. In addition, model
experiments of radiation hydrodynamics, equation of state, nuclear physics, and the
astrophysics in laboratory have been studied.
The biggest three facilities for science research with CPA ultra-intense lasers are
almost ready to start experiments at three countries with several lasers of 1–10 PW
8
1 Introduction