The NIKE KrF laser program

Journal Article · Wed Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.46953· OSTI ID:166006

Sethian, J D; Bodner, S E; Gerber, K A; Lehmberg, R H; McLean, E A; Obenschain, S P; Pawley, C J; Pronko, M S; Stamper, J A ^[1]; Deniz, A V; Hardgrove, J; Lehecka, T ^[2]; McGeoch, M W ^[3]

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1. Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
2. Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, Virginia 22102 (United States)
3. PLEX Corporation, Brookline, Massachusetts 02146 (United States)

NIKE is a large angularly multiplexed Krypton-Fluoride (KrF) laser under development at the Naval Research Laboratory. It is designed to explore the technical and physics issues of direct drive laser fusion. When completed, NIKE will deliver 2--3 kJ of 248 nm light in a 4 nsec pulse with intensities exceeding 2{times}10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2} onto a planar target. Spatially and temporally incoherent light will be used to reduce the ablation pressure nonuniformities to less than 2% in the target focal plane. These parameters are predicted to be those required for a high gain ICF pellet. The NIKE system consists of a commercial oscillator/amplifier front end, an array of gas discharge amplifiers, two electron beam pumped amplifiers (one with a 20{times}20 cm{sup 2} aperture, the other with a 60{times}60 cm{sup 2} aperture) and the optics required to relay, encode, and decode the beam. Approximately two-thirds of the system is operational and currently undergoing tests. The output of the smaller e-beam system, the 20 cm Amplifier, exceeds both the uniformity and energy required to drive the final e-beam system, the 60 cm Amplifier. The pulsed power components of the 60 cm Amplifier have been built, and initial tests show the electron beam deposited by the system meets the laser requirements for pumping uniformity and energy deposition. {copyright} 1994 {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 166006
• Report Number(s): CONF-931048-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 96:002619
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 318, Issue 1; Conference: 11. international workshop on laser interaction and related plasma phenomena, Monterey, CA (United States), 25-29 Oct 1993; Other Information: PBD: 5 Oct 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
KRYPTON FLUORIDE LASERS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
PULSES
ABLATION
LASER TARGETS
FUEL PELLETS
ELECTRON BEAM PUMPING
HOT SPOTS