Atoms of light elements such as hydrogen are squeezed together under very high pressure and temperature, and fuse together to form heavier elements such as helium, liberating energy in the process. To learn more about fusion, visit the General Atomics Fusion Education Web site. The sun heats and confines hydrogen by gravity. Magnetic confinement fusion uses strong magnetic fields to confine the hydrogen, heated by microwaves or other means. Laser beams rapidly heat the surface of the fusion target forming a surrounding plasma envelope.
Fuel is compressed by the rocket-like blowoff of the hot surface material.
Thermonuclear burn spreads rapidly through the compressed fuel, yielding many times the input energy. It is the primary mission of the ICF program to provide these conditions so that the research on nuclear weapons necessary for the maintenence of the US nuclear defense arsenal can be carried out without the need for actual nuclear testing. The long-term goal of the ICF program is fusion energy for electric power and other energy applications. 1 Pictures courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory .