The energy deposition of a relativistic electron beam in a plasma can be managed through turning on or off fast beam-plasma instabilities in desirable regions. This management may enable new ways of realizing the fast-igniter scenario of inertial fusion. Collisional effects alone can decelerate electrons of at most a few MeV within the core of an inertial-fusion target. Beam-excited Langmuir turbulence, however, can decelerate even ultrarelativistic electrons in the core.

• Received 1 March 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.125004