scholarly journals Professor Guillermo Velarde and the Madrid manifesto: a leap forward in ICF scientific collaboration

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (01) ◽  
pp. 141-158
Author(s):  
N. Carpintero-Santamaría ◽  
J. Manuel Perlado
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Secure Place

AbstractIn 1988 Professor Guillermo Velarde, founder of the Instituto de Fusión Nuclear (IFN), chaired the 19th European Conference on Laser Interaction with Matter held in Madrid on 3–7 October 1988. About 170 scientists from Europe, the Soviet Union, United States, Japan, Canada, Israel, Australia, China, and South Africa participated in the ECLIM 88. ECLIM 88 was among ECLIM's series a turning point in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research. The work already performed by different laboratories in Europe, Japan, and around the world had reached a level such that without explicitly expressing it, the collective scientific consensus wanted a change in the existing close policies in several ICF areas at large Laboratories in the USA, Russia, France, and UK.Dr. Erik Storm from the US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory proposed to Professor Velarde to write a letter to be signed by the participants of the ECLIM in favor of having an open international collaboration in ICF. Professor Velarde then suggested drawing up a manifesto instead of a letter because the name manifesto had bigger historical connotations. The manifesto received a very successful response among the conference participants and was signed by more than 130 scientists. Our paper aims at twofold objective: (1) to put into account the positive repercussions derived from the MADRID MANIFESTO in the ICF research and (2) to remember the figure of Professor Guillermo Velarde, the most influential physicist in nuclear fusion energy by inertial confinement along the 20th century. His inspiration and leadership in science contributed to make this world a safer and secure place and for us, his disciples and colleagues, an irreplaceable personality in our lives.

Inertial Confinement Fusion Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: The National Ignition Facility, Inertial Fusion Energy, 100–1000 TW Lasers, and the Fast Igniter Concept

1997 ◽  
Vol 06 (04) ◽  
pp. 507-533
Author(s):  
W. Howard Lowdermilk
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Peak Power ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
Confinement Fusion

The ultimate goal of worldwide research in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is to develop fusion as an inexhaustible, economic, environmentally safe source of electric power. Following nearly thirty years of laboratory and underground fusion experiments, the next step toward this goal is to demonstrate ignition and propagating burn of fusion fuel in the laboratory. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project is being constructed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for just this purpose. NIF will use advanced Nd-glass laser technology to deliver 1.8 MJ of 0.35 μm laser light in a shaped pulse, several nanoseconds in duration, achieving a peak power of 500 TW. A national community of U.S. laboratories is participating in this project, now in its final design phase. France and the United Kingdom are collaborating on development of required technology under bilateral agreements with the US. This paper presents key aspects of the laser design, and descriptions of principal laser and optical components. Follow-on development of lasers to meet the demands of an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant is reviewed. In parallel with the NIF Project and IFE developments, work is proceeding on ultrashort pulse lasers with peak power in the range of 100–1000 TW. A beamline on the Nova laser at LLNL recently delivered nearly 600 J of 1 μm light in a 0.5 ps duration pulse, for a peak power in excess of a petawatt (1015 W). This beamline, with advanced adaptive optics, will be capable of focused intensities in excess of 1021 W/cm2. Its primary purpose will be to test technological and scientific aspects of an alternate ignition concept, called the "Fast Igniter", that has the potential to produce higher fusion gain than conventional ICF.

scholarly journals Modelling burning thermonuclear plasma

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200014 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Rose ◽  
P. W. Hatfield ◽  
R. H. H. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Electrodynamics ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Energy Part ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Big Bang

Considerable progress towards the achievement of thermonuclear burn using inertial confinement fusion has been achieved at the National Ignition Facility in the USA in the last few years. Other drivers, such as the Z-machine at Sandia, are also making progress towards this goal. A burning thermonuclear plasma would provide a unique and extreme plasma environment; in this paper we discuss (a) different theoretical challenges involved in modelling burning plasmas not currently considered, (b) the use of novel machine learning-based methods that might help large facilities reach ignition, and (c) the connections that a burning plasma might have to fundamental physics, including quantum electrodynamics studies, and the replication and exploration of conditions that last occurred in the first few minutes after the Big Bang. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

scholarly journals Direct-drive laser fusion: status, plans and future

2020 ◽  
Vol 379 (2189) ◽  
pp. 20200011 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Campbell ◽  
T. C. Sangster ◽  
V. N. Goncharov ◽  
J. D. Zuegel ◽  
S. F. B. Morse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Plasma ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Energy Coupling ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Direct Drive

Laser-direct drive (LDD), along with laser indirect (X-ray) drive (LID) and magnetic drive with pulsed power, is one of the three viable inertial confinement fusion approaches to achieving fusion ignition and gain in the laboratory. The LDD programme is primarily being executed at both the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. LDD research at Omega includes cryogenic implosions, fundamental physics including material properties, hydrodynamics and laser–plasma interaction physics. LDD research on the NIF is focused on energy coupling and laser–plasma interactions physics at ignition-scale plasmas. Limited implosions on the NIF in the ‘polar-drive’ configuration, where the irradiation geometry is configured for LID, are also a feature of LDD research. The ability to conduct research over a large range of energy, power and scale size using both Omega and the NIF is a major positive aspect of LDD research that reduces the risk in scaling from OMEGA to megajoule-class lasers. The paper will summarize the present status of LDD research and plans for the future with the goal of ultimately achieving a burning plasma in the laboratory. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

scholarly journals Production of Hollow Microspheres for Inertial Confinement Fusion Experiments

1994 ◽  
Vol 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Cook
Keyword(s):  
Surface Finish ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Surface Characterization ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Powerful Laser ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Laser Drivers ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe targets used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are plastic capsules roughly 0.5 mm in diameter. This paper reviews the fabrication of these capsules, focusing on the production of the thinwalled polystyrene microshell mandrel around which the capsule is built. The relationship between the capsule characteristics, especially surface finish, and capsule performance is discussed, as are the methods of surface characterization and modification necessary for experiments designed to study the effects of surface roughness on implosion dynamics. Targets for the next generation of ICF facilities using more powerful laser drivers will have to be larger while meeting the same or even more stringent symmetry and surface finish requirements. Some of the technologies for meeting these needs are discussed briefly.

scholarly journals Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the first special edition

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200006 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Norreys ◽  
C. Ridgers ◽  
K. Lancaster ◽  
M. Koepke ◽  
G. Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Energy Part ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
Basic Studies

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. The Hooke discussion meeting in March 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in inertial confinement fusion research world-wide to date. This first edition of two special issues seeks to identify paths forward to achieve high fusion energy gain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

Alternatives to tokamaks: a faster-better-cheaper route to fusion energy?

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2141) ◽  
pp. 20170431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Clery
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
No Production ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Unlimited Supply ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Difficult Challenge

The use of thermonuclear fusion as a source for energy generation has been a goal of plasma physics for more than six decades. Its advantages are many: easy access to fuel and virtually unlimited supply; no production of greenhouse gases; and little radioactive waste produced. But heating fuel to the high temperature necessary for fusion—at least 100 million degrees Celsius—and containing it at that level has proved to be a difficult challenge. The ring-shaped magnetic confinement of tokamaks, which emerged in the 1960s, was quickly identified as the most promising approach and remains so today although a practical commercial reactor remains decades away. While tokamaks have rightly won most fusion research funding, other approaches have also been pursued at a lower level. Some, such as inertial confinement fusion, have emerged from nuclear weapons programs and others from academic efforts. A few have been spun out into start-up companies funded by venture capital and wealthy individuals. Although alternative approaches are less well studied, their proponents argue that they could provide a smaller, cheaper, and faster route to fusion energy production. This article will survey some of the current efforts and where they stand. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Fusion energy using tokamaks: can development be accelerated?’.

scholarly journals Direct-indirect mixture implosion in heavy ion fusion

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
TETSUO SOMEYA ◽  
KENTAROU MIYAZAWA ◽  
TAKASHI KIKUCHI ◽  
SHIGEO KAWATA
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Radiation Transport ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Foam Layer ◽  
Lateral Direction ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Heavy Ion Fusion

In order to realize an effective implosion, the beam illumination non-uniformity and implosion non-uniformity must be suppressed to less than a few percent. In this paper, a direct-indirect mixture implosion mode is proposed and discussed in heavy ion beam (HIB) inertial confinement fusion (HIF) in order to release sufficient fusion energy in a robust manner. On the other hand, the HIB illumination non-uniformity depends strongly on a target displacement (dz) in a reactor. In a direct-driven implosion mode dz of ∼20 μm was tolerance and in an indirect-implosion mode dz of ∼100 μm was allowable. In the direct-indirect mixture mode target, a low-density foam layer is inserted, and radiation is confined in the foam layer. In the foam layer the radiation transport is expected in the lateral direction for the HIB illumination non-uniformity smoothing. Two-dimensional implosion simulations are performed and show that the HIB illumination non-uniformity is well smoothed. The simulation results present that a large pellet displacement of ∼300 μm is tolerable in order to obtain sufficient fusion energy in HIF.

scholarly journals INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION RESEARCH AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Batha ◽  
B. J. Albright ◽  
D. J. Alexander ◽  
Cris W. Barnes ◽  
P. A. Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Research ◽  
Confinement Fusion
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