Inertial fusion energy development approaches for direct and indirect-drive

Consideration of different driver and target requirements for inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plants together with the potential energy gains of direct and indirect-drive targets leads to different optimal combinations of driver and target options for each type of target. In addition, different fusion chamber concepts are likely to be most compatible with these different driver and target combinations. For example, heavy-ion drivers appear to be well matched to indirect=drive targets with all-liquid-protected-wall chambers requiring two-sided illuminations, while diode-pumped, solid- state laser drivers are better matched to direct-drive targets with chambers using solid walls or flow-guiding structures to allow spherically symmetric illuminations. R&D on the critical issues of drivers, targets, and chambers for both direct and indirect-drive options should be pursued until the ultimate gain of either type of target for IFE is better understood