Device and method for imploding a microsphere with a fast liner

A device for producing energy in the form of radiation and neutrons comprising:

• a high-density plasma disposed within a target chamber;
• a fast liner disposed within said target chamber;
• a microsphere disposed within said fast liner;
• means for producing a relativistic electron beam having a voltage of at least 3MeV and having a current density of at least 1 KA/cm.sup.2 and ##EQU4## where N is the line density of the beam electrons, re is the classical electron radius, v is the beam velocity and c is the speed of light, which beam is sufficient to penetrate said target chamber and initiate convective oscillations in said high-density plasma such that energy is transferred from said relativistic electron beam to said plasma to heat an annulus of said plasma to kilovolt temperatures and drive said fast liner to generate an intense, shaped energy pulse to implode said microsphere and produce said energy means for extracting useful energy in a controlled manner from said microsphere imploded by said liner, said microsphere giving off useful energy in a controlled manner when imploded by said liner.

A hot plasma device comprising:

• means for retaining a high-density gas within a predetermined volume;
• means for ionizing said gas to produce a high-density plasma;
• a fast liner disposed within said means for retaining said high-density gas;
• a microsphere disposed within said fast liner;
• means for generating an annular relativistic electron beam having a voltage of at least 3 MeV and a current density of at least 1 KA/cm.sup.2 and ##EQU5## where N is the line density of the beam electrons, re is the classical electron radius, v is the beam velocity and c is the speed of light, which beam is sufficient to overcome classical scattering upon penetrating said means for retaining said high-density gas so as to generate streaming instabilities in said high-density plasma causing said relativistic electron beam to heat an annulus of said high-density plasma surrounding said fast liner to kilovolt temperatures to drive said fast liner to convergence and implode said microsphere to generate said hot plasma means for extracting useful energy in a controlled manner from said microsphere imploded by said liner, said microsphere giving off useful energy in a controlled manner when imploded by said liner.