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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Laser-direct-drive fusion target design with a high- Z gradient-density pusher shell

Laser-direct-drive fusion target designs with solid deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel, a high-Z gradient-density pusher shell (GDPS), and a Au-coated foam layer have been investigated through both 1D and 2D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. Compared with conventional low-Z ablators and DT-push-on-DT targets, these GDPS targets possess certain advantages of being instability-resistant implosions that can be high adiabat (α ≥ 8) and low hot-spot and pusher-shell convergence (CR hs ≈ 22 and CR PS ≈ 17), and have a low implosion velocity (v imp < 3 × 10 7 cm/s). Using symmetric drive with laser energies of 1.9 to 2.5 MJ, 1D LILAC simulations of these GDPS implosions can result in neutron yields corresponding to >~50–MJ energy, even with reduced laser absorption due to the cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) effect. Two-dimensional DRACO simulations show that these GDPS targets can still ignite and deliver neutron yields from 4 to ~10 MJ even if CBET is present, while traditional DT-push-on-DT targets normally fail due to the CBET-induced reduction of ablation pressure. If CBET is mitigated, these GDPS targets are expected to produce neutron yields of >20 MJ at a driven laser energy of ~2 MJ. Here are the key factors behind the robust ignition and moderate energy gain of such GDPS implosions are as follows: (1) The high initial density of the high-Z pusher shell can be placed at a very high adiabat while the DT fuel is maintained at a relatively low-entropy state; therefore, such implosions can still provide enough compression ρR >1 g/cm 2 for sufficient confinement; (2) the high-Z layer significantly reduces heat-conduction loss from the hot spot since thermal conductivity scales as ~1/Z; and (3) possible radiation trapping may offer an additional advantage for reducing energy loss from such high-Z targets.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Study of ablation and implosion stages in wire arrays using coupled ultraviolet and X-ray probing diagnostics

Star and cylindrical wire arrays were studied using laser probing and X-ray radiography at the 1-MA Zebra pulse power generator at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Leopard laser provided backlighting, producing a laser plasma from a Si target which emitted an X-ray probing pulse at the wavelength of 6.65 Å. A spherically bent quartz crystal imaged the backlit wires onto X-ray film. Laser probing diagnostics at the wavelength of 266 nm included a 3-channel polarimeter for Faraday rotation diagnostic and two-frame laser interferometry with two shearing interferometers to study the evolution of the plasma electron density at the ablation and implosion stages. Dynamics of the plasma density profile in Al wire arrays at the ablation stage were directly studied with interferometry, and expansion of wire cores was measured with X-ray radiography. The magnetic field in the imploding plasma was measured with the Faraday rotation diagnostic, and current was reconstructed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cryogenic tritium-hydrogen-deuterium and deuterium-tritium layer implosions with high density carbon ablators in near-vacuum hohlraums

High Density Carbon (or diamond) is a promising ablator material for use in near-vacuum hohlraums, as its high density allows for ignition designs with laser pulse durations of <10 ns. A series of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments in 2013 on the National Ignition Facility [Moses et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 041006 (2009)] culminated in a deuterium-tritium (DT) layered implosion driven by a 6.8 ns, 2-shock laser pulse. This paper describes these experiments and comparisons with ICF design code simulations. Backlit radiography of a tritium-hydrogen-deuterium (THD) layered capsule demonstrated an ablator implosion velocity of 385 km/s with a slightly oblate hot spot shape. Other diagnostics suggested an asymmetric compressed fuel layer. A streak camera-based hot spot self-emission diagnostic (SPIDER) showed a double-peaked history of the capsule self-emission. Simulations suggest that this is a signature of low quality hot spot formation. Changes to the laser pulse and pointing for a subsequent DT implosion resulted in a higher temperature, prolate hot spot and a thermonuclear yield of 1.8 × 10{sup 15} neutrons, 40% of the 1D simulated yield.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

The development of a high-resolution Eulerian radiation-hydrodynamics simulation capability for laser-driven Hohlraums

Hohlraums are hollow cylindrical cavities with high-Z material walls used to convert laser energy into uniform x-ray radiation drives for inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions and high energy density physics experiments. Credible computational modeling of hohlraums requires detailed modeling and coupling of laser physics, hydrodynamics, radiation transport, heat transport, and atomic physics. We report on improvements to Los Alamos National Laboratory's xRAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code in order to enable hohlraum modeling. xRAGE's Eulerian hydrodynamics and adaptive mesh refinement make it uniquely well suited to study the impacts of multiscale features in hohlraums. In order to provide confidence in this new modeling capability, we demonstrate xRAGE's ability to produce reasonable agreement with data from several benchmark hohlraum experiments. We also use xRAGE to perform integrated simulations of a recent layered high density carbon capsule implosion on the National Ignition Facility in order to evaluate the potential impacts of the capsule support tent, mixed cell conductivity methodologies, plasma transport, and cross-beam energy transfer (XBT). We find that XBT, seeded by plasma flows in the laser entrance hole (LEH), causes a slight decrease in energy coupling to the capsule and that all of these impact the symmetry of the x-ray drive such that they have an appreciable impact on the capsule implosion shape.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

A compact neutron spectrometer for characterizing inertial confinement fusion implosions at OMEGA and the NIF

A compact spectrometer for measurements of the primary deuterium-tritium neutron spectrum has been designed and implemented on the OMEGA laser facility [T. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. This instrument uses the recoil spectrometry technique, where neutrons produced in an implosion elastically scatter protons in a plastic foil, which are subsequently detected by a proton spectrometer. This diagnostic is currently capable of measuring the yield to ∼±10% accuracy, and mean neutron energy to ∼±50 keV precision. As these compact spectrometers can be readily placed at several locations around an implosion, effects of residual fuel bulk flows during burn can be measured. Future improvements to reduce the neutron energy uncertainty to ±15−20 keV are discussed, which will enable measurements of fuel velocities to an accuracy of ∼±25−40 km/s.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review

In this study, the direct-drive, laser-based approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is reviewed from its inception following the demonstration of the first laser to its implementation on the present generation of high-power lasers. The review focuses on the evolution of scientific understanding gained from target-physics experiments in many areas, identifying problems that were demonstrated and the solutions implemented. The review starts with the basic understanding of laser–plasma interactions that was obtained before the declassification of laser-induced compression in the early 1970s and continues with the compression experiments using infrared lasers in the late 1970s that produced thermonuclear neutrons. The problem of suprathermal electrons and the target preheat that they caused, associated with the infrared laser wavelength, led to lasers being built after 1980 to operate at shorter wavelengths, especially 0.35 um—the third harmonic of the Nd:glass laser—and 0.248 um (the KrF gas laser). The main physics areas relevant to direct drive are reviewed. The primary absorption mechanism at short wavelengths is classical inverse bremsstrahlung. Nonuniformities imprinted on the target by laser irradiation have been addressed by the development of a number of beam-smoothing techniques and imprint-mitigation strategies. The effects of hydrodynamic instabilities are mitigated by a combination of imprint reduction and target designs that minimize the instability growth rates. Several coronal plasma physics processes are reviewed. The two-plasmon–decay instability, stimulated Brillouin scattering (together with cross-beam energy transfer), and (possibly) stimulated Raman scattering are identified as potential concerns, placing constraints on the laser intensities used in target designs, while other processes (self-focusing and filamentation, the parametric decay instability, and magnetic fields), once considered important, are now of lesser concern for mainline direct-drive target concepts. Filamentation is largely suppressed by beam smoothing. Thermal transport modeling, important to the interpretation of experiments and to target design, has been found to be non-local in nature. Advances in shock timing and equation-of-state measurements relevant to direct-drive ICF are reported. Room-temperature implosions have provided an increased understanding of the importance of stability and uniformity. The evolution of cryogenic implosion capabilities, leading to an extensive series carried out on the 60-beam OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)], is reviewed together with major advances in cryogenic target formation. A polar-drive concept has been developed that will enable direct-drive–ignition experiments to be performed on the National Ignition Facility [C. A. Haynam et al., Appl. Opt. 46 (16), 3276 (2007)]. The advantages offered by the alternative approaches of fast ignition and shock ignition and the issues associated with these concepts are described. The lessons learned from target-physics and implosion experiments are taken into account in ignition and high-gain target designs for laser wavelengths of 1/3 μm and 1/4 μm. Substantial advances in direct-drive inertial fusion reactor concepts are reviewed. Overall, the progress in scientific understanding over the past five decades has been enormous, to the point that inertial fusion energy using direct drive shows significant promise as a future environmentally attractive energy source.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Compressing Magnetic Fields with High-Energy Lasers

Laser-driven magnetic-field compression producing a magnetic field of tens of megaGauss is reported for the first time. A shock wave formed during the implosion of a cylindrical target traps an initial (seed) magnetic field that is amplified via conservation of magnetic flux. Such large fields are expected to magnetize the electrons in the hot, central plasma, leading to a cyclotron frequency exceeding the collision frequency. The Omega Laser Facility [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] was used to implode cylindrical CH targets filled with deuterium gas and seeded with an external field (>50 kG) from a magnetic pulse generator. This seed field is trapped and rapidly compressed by the imploding shell, minimizing the effect of resistive flux diffusion. The compressed field was probed via proton deflectrometry using 14.7 MeV protons from the D+3He fusion reaction emitted by an imploding glass microballoon. Line-averaged magnetic fields of the imploded core were measured to between 30 and 40 MG. Experimental data were analyzed with both a magnetohydrodynamic version of the one-dimensional hydrocode LILAC [J. Delettrez et al., Phys. Rev. A 36, 3926 (1987); N. W. Jang et al., Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 51, 144 (2006)] and the particle propagation code GEANT4 [S. Agostinelli et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 506, 250 (2003)].

Knauer, J P↗
DOE OSTI2020

Recent and planned hydrodynamic instability experiments on indirect-drive implosions on the National Ignition Facility

At National Ignition Facility (NIF), yield amplification due to alpha particle heating approached ~3 in the highest performing inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions, while yield amplification of ~15-30 is needed for ignition. Hydrodynamic instabilities are a major factor in degradation of implosions while understanding and mitigation of the instabilities are critical to achieving ignition. This article describes recent and planned hydrodynamic instability experiments with several focused platforms that have been developed to directly measure these instabilities in all phases of ICF implosions. Measurements of ripple-shock generation at OMEGA laser have indicated initial seeds for the instabilities in three ablators - plastic (CH), beryllium, and high-density carbon (HDC). Hydrodynamic Growth Radiography (HGR) platform was used to measure instability growth at the ablation front in the acceleration phase of implosions. This platform used pre-imposed 2-D perturbations for growth factor measurements at different perturbation wavelengths and was also used to measure growth of “native roughness” modulations, fill tubes, and capsule support membranes or “tents”. Also, in the acceleration phase several new experimental platforms have been or are being developed to measure instability growth at the ablator-ice interface. In the deceleration phase of implosions, “self-emission” and “self-backlighting” platforms were developed to measure perturbations near peak compression. This article reviews recent progress and results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Final Report. Grant DOE DE-FG02-04ER54768

The magnetized spherical implosion campaign funded by this grant is summarized in this progress report. The main goal of this grant was to improve the seed eld generator MIFEDS (Magneto- Inertial Fusion Energy Delivery System) on the OMEGA laser to enable experiments at high elds (> 8 T) and to carry out magnetized spherical implosion experiments to study the e ect of magnetic elds on the fusion yield. New experiments were carried out in the last budget period to study the e ect of higher elds and shaped laser pulses. These new experiments improved the magnetized implosion database and allowed us to improve the con dence of our conclusions with respect to the e ect of magnetic elds on implosion performance. The main conclusion is that adding magnetic eld leads to a 30% higher neutron yield, but using seed magnetic eld higher than 8 T does not further increase the neutron yield. A further conclusion is that the yield enhancement due to the magnetic eld is approximately independent of the laser pulse shape.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

New tuning method of the low-mode asymmetry for ignition capsule implosions

In the deuterium-tritium inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments on the National Ignition Facility, the hot spot and the surrounding main fuel layer show obvious P2 asymmetries. This may be caused by the large positive P2 radiation flux asymmetry during the peak pulse resulting form the poor propagation of the inner laser beam in the gas-filled hohlraum. The symmetry evolution of ignition capsule implosions is investigated by applying P2 radiation flux asymmetries during different time intervals. A series of two-dimensional simulation results show that a positive P2 flux asymmetry during the peak pulse results in a positive P2 shell ρR asymmetry; while an early time positive P2 flux asymmetry causes a negative P2 in the fuel ρR shape. The opposite evolution behavior of shell ρR asymmetry is used to develop a new tuning method to correct the radiation flux asymmetry during the peak pulse by adding a compensating same-phased P2 drive asymmetry during the early time. The significant improvements of the shell ρR symmetry, hot spot shape, hot spot internal energy, and neutron yield indicate that the tuning method is quite effective. The similar tuning method can also be used to control the early time drive asymmetries.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observations of multi-ion physics and kinetic effects in a surrogate to the solar CNO reactions

The ‘CNO process’ occurs in heavier stars with finite metallicity in which hydrogen burning is catalyzed in the presence of 12 C. These reactions are more strongly dependent on temperature than the pp cycle reactions, and thus the CNO cycle dominates only in massive stars. For these types of reactions to be studied at ICF facilities such as OMEGA, an implosion platform using heavier nuclei in the fuel and capable of creating ion temperatures on the order of at least 20 keV is required. A potential route to reach these conditions is to take advantage of kinetic effects in low-convergence shock-driven ‘exploding pusher’ implosions. In this experiment, shots were conducted at the OMEGA laser facility using the surrogate reaction 13 C + D. Its cross section is substantially higher than the actual astrophysical CNO reactions. The yield of this reaction in these implosions was much lower than expected. Finally, physical explanations are discussed, with significant species stratification the likely explanation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Foam-lined hohlraum, inertial confinement fusion experiments on the National Ignition Facility

Experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to study hohlraums lined with a 20-mg/cc 400-μm-thick Ta 2 O 5 aerogel at full scale (hohlraum diameter = 6.72 mm) are reported. Driven with a 1.6-MJ, 450-TW laser pulse, the performance of the foam liner is diagnosed using implosion hot-spot symmetry measurements of the high-density carbon (HDC) capsule and measurement of inner beam propagation through a thin-wall 8-μm Au window in the hohlraum. Results show an improved capsule performance due to laser energy deposition further inside the hohlraum, leading to a modest increase in x-ray drive and reduced preheat due to changes in the x-ray spectrum when the foam liner is included. In addition, the outer cone bubble uniformity is improved, but the predicted improvement in inner beam propagation to improve symmetry control is not realized for this foam thickness and density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modeling crossed-beam energy transfer for inertial confinement fusion

We developed a numerical code that describes both the energy transfer occurring when two or more laser beams overlap in a weakly non-homogeneous plasma, and the beam energy losses associated with the electron-ion collisions. The numerical solutions are validated with both the exact analytical solutions in homogeneous plasmas, and with new approximate analytical solutions in non-homogeneous plasmas that include the aforementioned inverse bremsstrahlung effect. Comparisons with kinetic particle-in-cell simulations are satisfactory, provided the acoustic wave-breaking limit and the self-focusing regime are not reached. An application of the Cross-Beam Energy Transfer model is shown for a typical case of indirect-drive implosion in a gold hohlraum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

On the Fielding of a High Gain, Shock-Ignited Target on the National Ignitiion Facility in the Near Term

Shock ignition, a new concept for igniting thermonuclear fuel, offers the possibility for a near-term ({approx}3-4 years) test of high gain inertial confinement fusion on the National Ignition Facility at less than 1MJ drive energy and without the need for new laser hardware. In shock ignition, compressed fusion fuel is separately ignited by a strong spherically converging shock and, because capsule implosion velocities are significantly lower than those required for conventional hotpot ignition, fusion energy gains of {approx}60 may be achievable on NIF at laser drive energies around {approx}0.5MJ. Because of the simple all-DT target design, its in-flight robustness, the potential need for only 1D SSD beam smoothing, minimal early time LPI preheat, and use of present (indirect drive) laser hardware, this target may be easier to field on NIF than a conventional (polar) direct drive hotspot ignition target. Like fast ignition, shock ignition has the potential for high fusion yields at low drive energy, but requires only a single laser with less demanding timing and spatial focusing requirements. Of course, conventional symmetry and stability constraints still apply. In this paper we present initial target performance simulations, delineate the critical issues and describe the immediate-term R&D program that must be performed in order to test the potential of a high gain shock ignition target on NIF in the near term.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effect on compression of lowering the design adiabat in the SQ-n campaign

A set of experiments in the SQ-n campaign attempts to increase the compression in layered implosions by reducing the design adiabat from 3.0 down to ∼ 2.6. The experiments utilize nanocrystalline high density carbon ablators driven by a ramped laser pulse drive. Contrary to expectations, the lower design adiabat layered implosion reaches the same level of compression, within the measurement uncertainty, as the previous set of SQ-n layered implosions at the higher design adiabat. Here, we examine potential explanations for this result, including incomplete melting or refreezing of the ablator after the first shock passes into the fuel layer, reproducibility, and dopant areal density. We also discuss additional potential paths to reaching lower adiabat including increased dopant areal density, ramped dopant profiles, and increased initial capsule size which are also based on experimental campaign results from the National Ignition Facility.

Physics - Plasma physics↗
DOE OSTI2016

Early-time radiation flux symmetry optimization and its effect on gas-filled hohlraum ignition targets on the National Ignition Facility

Achieving ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is tied to our ability to control and minimize deviations from sphericity of the capsule implosion. Low-mode asymmetries of the hot spot result from the combined effect of radiation drive asymmetries throughout the laser pulse and initial roughness on the capsule surface. In this paper, we report on simulations and experiments designed to assess, measure, and correct the drive asymmetries produced by the early-time (≈first 2 ns or “picket”) period of the laser pulse. The drive asymmetry during the picket is commonly thought to introduce distortions in the hot-spot shape at ignition time. However, a more subtle effect not previously considered is that it also leads to an asymmetry in shock velocity and timing, thereby increasing the fuel adiabat and reducing the margin for ignition. It is shown via hydrodynamic simulations that minimizing this effect requires that the early-time asymmetry be kept below 7.5% in the second Legendre mode (P{sub 2}), thus keeping the loss of performance margin below ≈10% for a layered implosion. Asymmetries during the picket of the laser pulse are measured using the instantaneous self-emission of a high-Z re-emission sphere in place of an ignition capsule in a hohlraum with large azimuthal diagnostic windows. Three dimensional simulations using the code HYDRA (to capture the effect of non-azimuthal hohlraum features) coupled to a cross-beam energy transfer model [Michel et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056305 (2010)] are used to establish the surrogacy of the re-emit target and to assess the early-time drive symmetry. Calculations using this model exhibit the same sensitivity to variations in the relative input powers between the different cones of NIF beams as measured for the “Rev5” CH target [Haan et al., Phys Plasmas 18, 051001 (2011)] and reported by Dewald et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 235001 (2013)]. The same methodology applied to recently improved implosions using different hohlraum geometries and picket powers show good agreement with experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy

Argon fluoride (ArF) is currently the shortest wavelength laser that can credibly scale to the energy and power required for high gain inertial fusion. ArF's deep ultraviolet light and capability to provide much wider bandwidth than other contemporary inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser drivers would drastically improve the laser target coupling efficiency and enable substantially higher pressures to drive an implosion. Our radiation hydrodynamics simulations indicate gains greater than 100 are feasible with a sub-megajoule ArF driver. Our laser kinetics simulations indicate that the electron beam-pumped ArF laser can have intrinsic efficiencies of more than 16%, versus about 12% for the next most efficient krypton fluoride excimer laser. We expect at least 10% ‘wall plug' efficiency for delivering ArF light to target should be achievable using solid-state pulsed power and efficient electron beam transport to the laser gas that was demonstrated with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Electra facility. These advantages could enable the development of modest size and lower cost fusion power plant modules. This would drastically change the present view on inertial fusion energy as being too expensive and the power plant size too large.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

A semi-analytic model of magnetized liner inertial fusion

Presented is a semi-analytic model of magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF). This model accounts for several key aspects of MagLIF, including: (1) preheat of the fuel (optionally via laser absorption); (2) pulsed-power-driven liner implosion; (3) liner compressibility with an analytic equation of state, artificial viscosity, internal magnetic pressure, and ohmic heating; (4) adiabatic compression and heating of the fuel; (5) radiative losses and fuel opacity; (6) magnetic flux compression with Nernst thermoelectric losses; (7) magnetized electron and ion thermal conduction losses; (8) end losses; (9) enhanced losses due to prescribed dopant concentrations and contaminant mix; (10) deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium primary fusion reactions for arbitrary deuterium to tritium fuel ratios; and (11) magnetized α-particle fuel heating. We show that this simplified model, with its transparent and accessible physics, can be used to reproduce the general 1D behavior presented throughout the original MagLIF paper [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. We also discuss some important physics insights gained as a result of developing this model, such as the dependence of radiative loss rates on the radial fraction of the fuel that is preheated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗