Abstract. A dominating mechanism responsible for the anomalies of the laser-plasma interaction at direct drive laser fusion is the 10 picosecond stochastic pulsation as recognised numerically and experimentally since 1974 and measured in many details by Maddever and Luther-Davies (Australian National University, Canberra) few years ago. These fundamental new results are now in the focus of interest in view of the present difficulties with the big laser-fusion facilities. A drastic reconsideration and economic solution may be possible based on our recent detailed numerical studies which indicate that the stochastic pulsation can be suppressed by an appropriate smoothing of the laser beam, permitting the operation with red light by saving expensive higher harmonic production avoiding damage by UV light, and providing much higher laser energy for fusion. By this way direct drive laser fusion will be favourable using the most robust volume ignition scheme with very high gain.
IAEA 2001