 Two established options for possible medium-term implementation of fusion energy production are magnetic confinement, being used in the ITER international project, and laser-based inertial confinement, as used in the French Laser Mégajoule and in the American NIF.Inertial confinement fusion (ICF), including heavy-ion inertial fusion (HIF), has been proposed as a possible additional means of implementing a fusion power plant.The operation of an IFE reactor is in some ways analogous to the operation of the four stroke cycle of a petrol engine