Editing Inertial confinement fusion (section)

==== Germany ====

In 1956 a meeting was organized at the [[Max Planck Society|Max Planck Institute]] in Germany by fusion pioneer [[Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker]]. At this meeting [[Friedwardt Winterberg]] proposed the non-fission ignition of a thermonuclear micro-explosion by a convergent shock wave driven with high explosives.<ref>Archives of Library University of Stuttgart, Konvolut 7, Estate of Professor Dr. Hoecker, 1956 von Weizsäcker, Meeting in Göttingen</ref> Further reference to Winterberg's work in Germany on nuclear micro explosions (mininukes) is contained in a declassified report of the former East German [[Stasi]] (Staatsicherheitsdienst).<ref>Stasi Report of the former East German Democratic Republic, MfS-AGM by "Der Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatsicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik," Zentralarchiv, Berlin, 1987</ref>

In 1964 Winterberg proposed that ignition could be achieved by an intense beam of microparticles accelerated to a speed of 1000&nbsp;km/s.<ref>F. Winterberg, Z. f. Naturforsch. 19a, 231 (1964)</ref> In 1968, he proposed to use intense electron and ion beams generated by [[Marx generator]]s for the same purpose.<ref>F. Winterberg, Phys. Rev. 174, 212 (1968)</ref> The advantage of this proposal is that charged particle beams are not only less expensive than laser beams, but can entrap the charged fusion reaction products due to the strong self-magnetic beam field, drastically reducing the compression requirements for beam ignited cylindrical targets.