HISTORICAL REMARKS ON BEAM FUSION.

Abstract

Beam fusion with light ions resulted in the best fusion gains ever and has achieved the level to build a hybrid reactor at a price comparable to the conventional breeders, but safer than these. The reason that this could not occur earlier was the argument of cross sections by which any beam fusion concept for the last 30 years was condemned. Induced by the experimental breakthrough of beam fusion, the complicated physics is discussed including recent developments of electrostatic double layer effects in plasmas. An interpenetration model for self-sustained fusion combustion in solid DT is presented with a threshold 2 multiplied by 10**7 Joules/cm**2. Present days CO//2 lasers may initiate this boots trap process using nonlinear force effects to generate space charge neutral ion beam densities exceeding 10**9 Amp/cm**2. From this example and from the experience of the development of fusion research, the scientific development is considered and a motivation is given for rethinking about the fusion programs toward an earlier achievement of fusion energy.