New initiative towards heavy-ion-driven inertial confinement fusion

Several European laboratories have set up a new collaboration addressing a feasibility study for a heavy-ion-driven ignition facility. It is intended to follow the traditional line of a linear accelerator followed by an accumulation and bunch compression-synchronization system. For obvious economical reasons and in contrast with earlier studies oriented at power plants, it is intended to define a `laboratory' test facility which will incorporate the development potential sufficient for eventually achieving ignition.