About the AuthorPrefaceAcknowledgmentCHAPTER ONE: Short Course in Thermal Physics and Statistical Mechanics1.1 Introduction1.2 Ideal Gas1.3 Bose-Einstein Distribution Function1.4 Fermi-Dirac Distribution Function1.4.1 The Grand Partition Function and Other Thermodynamic Functions1.4.2 The Fermi -- Dirac Distribution Function1.5 Ideal Fermi Gas1.6 Ideal Dense Plasma1.6.1 Thermodynamic Relations1.6.2 Ideal Gas and Saha Ionization1.7 Thomas--Fermi Theory1.7.1 Basic Thomas--Fermi Equations1.8 ReferencesCHAPTER TWO: Essential Physics of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)2.1 Introduction2.2 General Concept of Electromagnetisms and Electrostatics2.2.1 The Coulomb's Law2.2.2 The Electric Field2.2.3 The Gauss's Law2.3 Solution of Electrostatic Problems2.3.1 Poisson's Equation2.3.2 Laplace's Equation2.4 Electrostatic Energy2.4.1 Potential Energy of a Group of Point Charges2.4.2 Electrostatic Energy of a Charge Distribution2.4.3 Forces and Torques2.5 Maxwell's Equations2.6 Debye Length2.7 Physics of Plasmas2.8 Fluid Description of Plasma2.9 Magneto-Hydro Dynamics (MHD)2.10 Physics of Dimensional Analysis Application in Inertial Confinement Fusion ICF2.10.1 Dimensional Analysis and Scaling Concept2.10.2 Similarity and Estimating2.10.3 Self-Similarity2.10.4 General Results of Similarity2.10.5 Principles of Similarity2.11 Self-Similarity Solutions of the First and Second Kind2.12 Physics of Implosion and Explosion in ICF--Self-Similarity Methods2.13 Self-Similarity and Sedov - Taylor Problem2.14 Self-Similarity and Guderley Problem2.15 ReferencesCHAPTER THREE: Physics of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)3.1 Introduction3.2 Rates of Thermonuclear Reactions3.3 Critical Ignition Temperature for Fusion3.4 Controlled Thermonuclear Ideal Ignition Temperature3.5 Lawson Criterion3.5.1 Inertial Confinement and Lawson Criterion3.6 Bremsstrahlung Radiation3.6.1 Bremsstrahlung Plasma Radiation Losses3.6.2 Bremsstrahlung Emission Rate3.6.3 Additional Radiation Losses3.6.4 Inverse Bremsstrahlung Radiation in Inertial Confinement Fusion3.7 Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Inertial Confinement Fusion3.8 Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability in Inertial Confinement Fusion3.9 Filamentation Instability in Inertial Confinement Fusion3.10 Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability3.11 ReferencesCHAPTER FOUR: Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)4.1 Introduction4.2 Overview of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)4.3 Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Process Steps4.4 A Path Towards Inertial Fusion Energy4.4.1 Direct Drive Fusion4.4.2 Indirect Drive Fusion (The Hohlraum)4.4.3 Single Beam Driver as Ignitor Concept (Fast Ignition)4.5 Inertial Fusion Confinement Implosion and Explosion Process4.5.1 Linear Compression Concept4.5.2 Cylindrical Compression Concept4.5.3 Spherical Compression Concept4.6 Basic Consideration for Fusion Target Design4.7 Targets for Direct-Drive Laser Inertial Fusion Energy4.8 Z-Pinch Target4.9 Target Fabrication4.10 Conclusion4.11 ReferencesAppendix A: Schrödinger Wave EquationA.1 IntroductionA.2 The Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation ConceptA.3 Time-In