starship-design: Fusion Containment and Sustaining in Shock Waves

[jimaclem@juno.com]

Here's a wild haired idea ('bout all I seem to be able to come with
lately).  Make a shell of deuterium ice, shaped as a rotated parabola (or
ellipse, hyperbola, and any other rotated volume).  Initiate fusion on
the inner surface (also a rotated shape with a laser.  Actually the
reflected beam from a laser (you'll see why).  It seems reasonable (a
ifficult term to pin down on the best of days) that with the correct
shape, the shock wave created between the fusing outer ayers and the
remaining deuterium might contain the reaction.  At least long enough to
complete the fusing of the rest of the fuel.  Pipe the plasma into a
chamber of water ice (or whatever you have available) and heat it for
extra reaction mass.  This may not be useful for interstellar flight, but
might be a darn sight better for in-system travel.  Let me know what you
think.

Jim C.