The article presents the results of the experimental research on precision measurement of total stopping range and energy deposition function of intermediate and heavy ion beams in cold solid matter. The “thick target” method proves to be appropriate for this purpose. Two types of detectors were developed which provide an error of the total stopping range measurement of less than 3% and of the beam energy deposition function of about 7%. The experiments with 58Ni+26, 197Au+65, and 238U+72 ion beams in the energy range 100–300 MeV/u were performed on SIS-18 (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt) in 1999–2001. The measured data on the total stopping ranges for the above ion species in bulk and foiled Al and Cu targets are presented. The investigation showed that there is a noticeable discrepancy between the measured stopping ranges and the theoretically predicted ones. Also, it was shown that realistic ion energy deposition depends on the type of target (bulk or foiled). Further investigation is necessary to clarify the latter.

Review of some research into laser thermonuclear fusion carried out in Russian Federal Nuclear Center (RFNC-VNIIEF) within the last several years is presented. The review begins with a brief survey into ICF development in RFNC-VNIIEF starting from A.D. Sakharov and S.B. Kormer's pioneer proposals of the 1960s. The review concludes with the exposition of historical background of the 10 TW ISKRA-4 and 100 TW ISKRA-5 laser facilities creation and with the prospects of the 300 kJ ISKRA-6 (λ= 0.35 μm) laser development. The results of survey carried out at the ISKRA-5 facility are presented in the review. The high degree of symmetry (nonuniformity < 3%) of irradiation of a DT-shell by the X-ray emission made it possible to successfully conduct experiments with the asymmetrical shells. The asymmetry was effected through the asymmetrical Mg layers deposition on a spherically uniform glass shell surface. The asymmetry impact on neutron yield and the moment of neutron generation was investigated. The line X-ray emission characteristics of the H-like and He-like Ar, Fe, and Al ions were studied in another set of experiments. Ar was doped into DT-gas, while Fe and Al were deposited on the CH spherical hohlraums' inner surface. Development of the Cherenkov radiation generator in which the electron motion is actuated by the faster-than-light X-ray pulse motion on the surface of a plane sample, being under voltage, is reported. And in fine a brief description of experiments carried out at the ISKRA-4 facility under the program of turbulent mixing in plane multi layer targets is presented.

Spectrum and energy measurements of X-ray radiation emitted by partially transparent Fe and Al plasmas have been carried out for thin-layered inverted-corona targets on the ISKRA-5 laser facility. The targets were plastic spherical (2-mm diam) shells of 4.6 mm thickness having 0.25 mm Fe or 0.65 mm Al thin inner coatings. The energy radiated in Heα and Lyα resonance lines of Fe and Al ions was measured as well. Experimental data and results of numerical calculations are compared. Measured laser light to X-ray conversion coefficient has been found to be essentially low, then calculated one for both Fe and Al coated targets. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

The experiments to study the indirect drive targets' dynamics in a highly symmetrical X-radiation field were performed on the ISKRA-5 facility. This paper covered the results of experiments with the targets in the form of a Cu spherical hohlraum, the internal surface of which is coated with Au, with six holes for laser radiation input. In the center of the aforementioned hohlraum, a glass capsule filled with D–T gas was placed. In several experiments, the central capsule was coated with an ablator made of plastic with a different thickness. This allowed us to perform a series of experiments in which the different compression degree of D–T fuel was achieved. The analyses of experimental results revealed good agreement between the latter and the spherically symmetrical hydrodynamic calculations.

Two shells with the diameter of 0.8–0.9 mm and a wall thickness of ≅1 μm were produced at the Lebedev Physics Institute for the experiments conducted at the ISKRA-5 facility. The results of two experiments with the aforementioned shells conducted at the ISKRA-5 facility with the use of an indirect-drive set up. In one of the experiments, the diameter of the golden hohlraum was D = 2 mm while in the other it was D = 4 mm. In these experiments it was observed to be ≅4 times the difference of the average laser intensity on the hohlraum surface. The results of computational analysis of the experiments are also presented here.

The first experiments to study the shell's controlled asymmetry of capsule with DT-fuel in a highly symmetrical X-ray field, which is obtained inside a spherical hohlraum, were implemented. The asymmetry results from the coating of one hemisphere with the additional layer of material. The main goal of the experiment was to define the value of the capsule asymmetry, allowing us to experimentally obtain the neutron yield, which would be very different from the yield obtained in the experiment with the spherically symmetrical shell having the same mass as the asymmetrical one. It was shown that the shell asymmetry of ∼50% leads to the ∼(2–4) times reduction of the neutron yield as compared with the symmetrical shell. 2D calculations of the asymmetric capsule compression, using the MIMOZA-ND code, were conducted. The calculations demonstrated that the compression of targets, when exploding pusher regime occurs has a complicated character. The computational neutron yield, and the delay of the neutron generation time are in good agreement with the experimental data.

The experiments measuring the density of DT mixture compressed in indirect drive targets (X-ray targets) were conducted on the ISKRA-5 facility. The density was determined from the line broadening of H- and He-like Ar doped in DT-gas as a diagnostic substance. A series of three experiments with the X-ray targets having different shell thickness of capsule filled with DT + Ar mixture were carried out. In two of the three experiments, radiation spectra of Ar were recorded and the density of compressed gas was determined. The analysis of the experimental results for the X-ray target with a 280-μm diameter and a 7 μm wall thickness revealed that the density of the compressed gas may be estimated as ∼1 g/cm3.

Since 1973, research into the problem of laser thermonuclear fusion has been carried out at VNIIEF. For this purpose, laser iodine facilities ISKRA-4 and ISKRA-5 with the peak radiation power up to 100 TW have been created. In the present work, the main stages of these facilities creation, approaches to the selection of the pumping sources, working media, optical scheme, radiation focusing system, the system of the pumping sources energy feed, laser radiation, and plasma parameters diagnostics methods are shown. There are also presented types of the targets, filled with DT-gas, in which the high temperature plasma is formed and its parameters are studied. Data on values of neutron yield, of X rays in wide energy range, degree of implosion, and data on mix of heavy and light layers of matter are presented as well.

Measurements of spectral and energy X-ray characteristics of almost transparent Fe plasma produced by laser radiation inside the inverted-corona targets have been made at ISKRA-5 facility. The targets were spherical plastics cavities with 2-mm diameter and 4.6-μm thickness covered from inside with Fe layer 0.25-μm thickness. X-ray spectrum, X-ray total energy, and the energy of a HeαFe resonance line have been measured. Experimental data and calculation results are collated.