ABSTRACT
The Coulomb repulsion between the reacting nuclei must be overcome in order that they approach each other closely enough to allow them to interact via their nuclear forces. This chapter discusses the different methods to induce and confine fusion reactions and introduces the concept of inertial confinement fusion. It presents the fundamentals of fusion engineering, pointing out that different alternatives could be devised in order to achieve fusion conditions and to maintain them for long enough periods to generate huge amounts of energy. The chapter discusses the general advantages and drawbacks of different types of lasers, as well as those of the accelerators which have been identified as potential candidates for drives. A totally different approach can be based on obtaining a very high temperature, similar or even higher than the values reached within the stars.
