Effects of local defect growth in direct-drive cryogenic implosions on OMEGA

Journal Article · Tue Aug 13 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4818280· OSTI ID:1095914

Igumenshchev, I. V. ^[1]; Goncharov, V. N. ^[2]; Shmayda, W. T. ^[3]; Harding, D. R. ^[3]; Sangster, T. C. ^[3]; Meyerhofer, D. D. ^[4]

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1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester 1 , 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA; Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
2. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester 1 , 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester 2 , Rochester, New York 14623, USA
3. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester 1 , 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA
4. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester 1 , 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester 2 , Rochester, New York 14623, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester 3 , Rochester, New York 14623, USA

Spherically symmetric, low-adiabat (adiabat α ≲ 3) cryogenic direct-drive-implosion experiments on the OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1995)] yield less than 10% of the neutrons predicted in one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations suggest that this performance degradation can be explained assuming perturbations from isolated defects of submicron to tens-of-micron scale on the outer surface or inside the shell of implosion targets. These defects develop during the cryogenic filling process and typically number from several tens up to hundreds for each target covering from about 0.2% to 1% of its surface. The simulations predict that such defects can significantly perturb the implosion and result in the injection of about 1 to 2 μg of the hot ablator (carbon-deuterium) and fuel (deuterium-tritium) materials from the ablation surface into the targets. Both the hot mass injection and perturbations of the shell reduce the final shell convergence ratio and implosion performance. The injected carbon ions radiatively cool the hot spot, reducing the fuel temperature, and further reducing the neutron yield. The negative effect of local defects can be minimized by decreasing the number and size of these defects and/or using more hydrodynamically stable implosion designs with higher shell adiabat.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-08NA28302
• OSTI ID: 1095914
• Report Number(s): DOE/NA/28302-1139; 2013-81; 2111
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 20; ISSN 1070-664X
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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