Using laser entrance hole shields to increase coupling efficiency in indirect drive ignition targets for the National Ignition Facility

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 056307 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Callahan ◽  
P. A. Amendt ◽  
E. L. Dewald ◽  
S. W. Haan ◽  
D. E. Hinkel ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 042708
Author(s):  
D. T. Casey ◽  
O. L. Landen ◽  
E. Hartouni ◽  
R. M. Bionta ◽  
K. D. Hahn ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.R. DITTRICH ◽  
S.W. HAAN ◽  
M.M. MARINAK ◽  
D.E. HINKEL ◽  
S.M. POLLAINE ◽  
...  

Several choices exist in the design and production of capsules intended to ignite and propagate fusion burn of the deuterium–tritium (D–T) fuel when imploded by indirect drive at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). These choices include ablator material, ablator dopant concentration and distribution, capsule dimensions, and X-ray drive profile (shock timings and strengths). The choice of ablator material must also include fabrication and material characteristics, such as attainable surface finishes, permeability, strength, transparency to radio frequency and infrared radiation, thermal conductivity, and material homogeneity. Understanding the advantages and/or limitations of these choices is an ongoing effort for LLNL and LANL designers. At this time, simulations in one-, two-, and three-dimensions show that capsules with either a copper-doped beryllium or a polyimide (C22H10N2O4) ablator material have both the least sensitivity to initial surface roughnesses and favorable fabrication qualities. Simulations also indicate the existence of capsule designs based on these ablator materials which ignite and burn when imploded by less than nominal laser performance (900-kJ energy, 250-TW power, producing 250-eV peak radiation temperature). We will describe and compare these reduced-scale capsules, in addition to several designs which use the expected 300-eV peak X-ray drive obtained from operating the NIF laser at 1.3 MJ and 500 TW.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. CANAUD ◽  
X. FORTIN ◽  
F. GARAUDE ◽  
C. MEYER ◽  
F. PHILIPPE

In the context of the French Laser Mégajoule (LMJ) fusion research program, direct drive is an alternate to indirect drive to reach ignition and thermonuclear burn. We present recent progress in the direct-drive fusion studies for LMJ. Calculations have shown that the LMJ irradiation uniformity is characterized by long wavelength asymmetries compatible with direct drive requirements. Calculations of the irradiation uniformity in the context of indirect drive beam positioning have been done. We show that non-uniformity can be minimized by repointing the beams. Unfortunately, a time analysis shows that this nonuniformity increases strongly in time above levels usually considered inconsistent for direct drive. Finally, a recent baseline target design is presented and consists of a DT ice shell surrounded by a low-density CH foam wicked with cryogenic DT. This design can potentially reach a gain of 90 with a 1-MJ on-target laser driver. Hydrodynamic stability is increased at the ablation front and the laser–target coupling efficiency achieves 85%.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Li ◽  
Ke Lan ◽  
Jie Liu

AbstractIn this paper, the influences of laser entrance hole shields on capsule symmetry and coupling efficiency of an ignition octahedral spherical hohlraum are studied using analytical model and three-dimensional Monte-Carlo simulations. As a result, there are two critical shield radii at which the capsule asymmetry tends to minimum, and the coupling efficiency from hohlraum to capsule reaches its maximum when the shield size is taken around the second critical radius. For the ignition octahedral hohlraums used in our study, the first critical radius is 0.625 mm with a capsule asymmetry of 0.24%, and the second is 0.86 mm with 0.26%, and the asymmetry is smaller than 0.58% for shields’ radius in the range of 0.44 and 0.88 mm, which therefore leaves much flexibility in the shield radius design even the shields have an expansion under radiation ablation. The initial shield radius can be taken around the first critical radius in the ignition target design, not only to have a minimum initial capsule radiation asymmetry, but also to get a minimum asymmetry and highest coupling efficiency during the main pulse of drive. Finally, the relative flux of laser spot, wall and shields is 2.2:1:0.6 for our ignition octahedral spherical hohlraum model from the Monte-Carlo simulations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 121 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Baker ◽  
C. A. Thomas ◽  
D. T. Casey ◽  
S. Khan ◽  
B. K. Spears ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEORGE A. KYRALA ◽  
NORMAN DELAMATER ◽  
DOUGLAS WILSON ◽  
JOYCE GUZIK ◽  
DON HAYNES ◽  
...  

Imploding indirect-drive double shell targets may provide an alternative, non-cryogenic path to ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Experiments are being pursued at OMEGA to understand the hydrodynamics of these implosions and the possibility of scaling it to the NIF design. We have used 40 beams from the OMEGA laser to directly drive the capsules, and we have used the remaining 20 beams to backlight the imploding shells from two different directions at multiple times. We will review the recent experiments to measure the hydrodynamics of the targets using two-view X-ray radiography of the capsules. We will present data on measured yields from the targets. We will present a measured time history of the hydrodynamics of the implosion. Experiments were pursued using direct drive in which the M-band effect (experienced in the indirect drive experiments) could be eliminated or controlled. It was learned in the direct drive experiments that the best performing capsules were those that had a thin outer layer of gold. This effectively causes M-band pre-heat effects giving implosion hydrodynamics and performance closer to the indirect drive case. We will review the methods used to radiograph the targets and the techniques used to extract useful information to compare with calculations. The effect of imperfections in the target construction will be shown to be minimal during the initial stage of implosion. The yields from the targets were observed to be uniformly low compared to indirect-drive.


2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Walsh ◽  
J. P. Chittenden ◽  
K. McGlinchey ◽  
N. P. L. Niasse ◽  
B. D. Appelbe

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Wang ◽  
Kumar S. Raman ◽  
Stephan A. MacLaren ◽  
Channing M. Huntington ◽  
Sabrina R. Nagel ◽  
...  

We present simulations of a new experimental platform at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) for studying the hydrodynamic instability growth of a high-energy density (HED) fluid interface that undergoes multiple shocks, i.e., is “reshocked.” In these experiments, indirect-drive laser cavities drive strong shocks through an initially solid, planar interface between a high-density plastic and low-density foam, in either one or both directions. The first shock turns the system into an unstable fluid interface with the premachined initial condition that then grows via the Richtmyer–Meshkov and Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities. Backlit X-ray imaging is used to visualize the instability growth at different times. Our main result is that this new HED reshock platform is established and that the initial data confirm the experiment operates in a hydrodynamic regime similar to what simulations predict. The simulations also reveal new types of edge effects that can disturb the experiment at late times and suggest ways to mitigate them.


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