Recent progress on ion-driven fast ignition

Summary form only given: We report on the encouraging progress from research on fusion fast ignition (FI) initiated by laser-driven ion beams. Compared to electrons, FI based on a beam of quasi-monoenergetic ions (including protons and especially heavier ions such as C) has the advantage of a more localized energy deposition, which minimizes the required total beam energy. High-current, laser-driven ion beams are very promising for this purpose, and because of their ultra-low transverse emittance, these beams may be focused to the required dimension, ~tens of microns. Because they are created in ps timescales, these beams can deliver the power required to ignite the compressed D-T fuel, ~10 kJ/50 ps. Our recent integrated calculations of ion-based FI include high fusion gain targets and a proof of principle experiment, which indicate the concept is feasible. The beam requirements derived from high-gain calculations using realistic DT fuel implosion are presented. The scientific issues and technical issues in the generation of the required laser-driven ion beams, and recent progress in their realization, are summarized.