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First high-convergence cryogenic implosion in a near-vacuum hohlraum

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
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  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); High Energy Density Physics Division, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. MIT (Massachusetts Inst. of Technology), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  6. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  7. Diamond Materials, GMBH, Freiburg (Germany)
  8. Diamond Materials, GMBH, Frieburg (Germany)

Recent experiments on the National Ignition Facility [M. J. Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] demonstrate that utilizing a near-vacuum hohlraum (low pressure gas-filled) is a viable option for high convergence cryogenic deuterium-tritium (DT) layered capsule implosions. This is made possible by using a dense ablator (high-density carbon), which shortens the drive duration needed to achieve high convergence: a measured 40% higher hohlraum efficiency than typical gas-filled hohlraums, which requires less laser energy going into the hohlraum, and an observed better symmetry control than anticipated by standard hydrodynamics simulations. The first series of near-vacuum hohlraum experiments culminated in a 6.8 ns, 1.2 MJ laser pulse driving a 2-shock, high adiabat (α ~ 3.5) cryogenic DT layered high density carbon capsule. This resulted in one of the best performances so far on the NIF relative to laser energy, with a measured primary neutron yield of 1.8 X 10¹⁵ neutrons, with 20% calculated alpha heating at convergence ~27X.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0001857
OSTI ID:
1182659
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1180249
OSTI ID: 1251027
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 114; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (49)

First demonstration of improving laser propagation inside the spherical hohlraums by using the cylindrical laser entrance hole journal January 2016
First experimental comparisons of laser-plasma interactions between spherical and cylindrical hohlraums at SGIII laser facility journal March 2017
Inertial-confinement fusion with lasers journal May 2016
Impact of the Langdon effect on crossed-beam energy transfer journal December 2019
A novel three-axis cylindrical hohlraum designed for inertial confinement fusion ignition journal October 2016
Cryogenic tritium-hydrogen-deuterium and deuterium-tritium layer implosions with high density carbon ablators in near-vacuum hohlraums journal June 2015
The size and structure of the laser entrance hole in gas-filled hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility journal December 2015
Two decades of progress in understanding and control of laser plasma instabilities in indirect drive inertial fusion journal April 2016
Improving ICF implosion performance with alternative capsule supports journal May 2017
Symmetry control of an indirectly driven high-density-carbon implosion at high convergence and high velocity journal May 2017
Performance of beryllium targets with full-scale capsules in low-fill 6.72-mm hohlraums on the National Ignition Facility journal May 2017
The relationship between gas fill density and hohlraum drive performance at the National Ignition Facility journal May 2017
Hollow wall to stabilize and enhance ignition hohlraums journal January 2018
The I-Raum: A new shaped hohlraum for improved inner beam propagation in indirectly-driven ICF implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal January 2018
Variable convergence liquid layer implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal May 2018
Comparison of plastic, high density carbon, and beryllium as indirect drive NIF ablators journal May 2018
Effect of equation of state on laser imprinting by comparing diamond and polystyrene foils journal March 2018
The high velocity, high adiabat, “Bigfoot” campaign and tests of indirect-drive implosion scaling journal May 2018
Exploring the limits of case-to-capsule ratio, pulse length, and picket energy for symmetric hohlraum drive on the National Ignition Facility Laser journal May 2018
Visualizing deceleration-phase instabilities in inertial confinement fusion implosions using an “enhanced self-emission” technique at the National Ignition Facility journal May 2018
Absolute Hugoniot measurements from a spherically convergent shock using x-ray radiography journal May 2018
Increasing stagnation pressure and thermonuclear performance of inertial confinement fusion capsules by the introduction of a high-Z dopant journal August 2018
Using a 2-shock 1D platform at NIF to measure the effect of convergence on mix and symmetry journal October 2018
Development of new platforms for hydrodynamic instability and asymmetry measurements in deceleration phase of indirectly driven implosions on NIF journal August 2018
Beryllium capsule implosions at a case-to-capsule ratio of 3.7 on the National Ignition Facility journal October 2018
Experimental study of energy transfer in double shell implosions journal May 2019
Approaching a burning plasma on the NIF journal May 2019
Recent research progress of laser plasma interactions in Shenguang laser facilities journal September 2019
A simulation-based model for understanding the time dependent x-ray drive asymmetries and error bars in indirectly driven implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal June 2019
Implosion performance of subscale beryllium capsules on the NIF journal May 2019
Hybrid particle-in-cell simulations of laser-driven plasma interpenetration, heating, and entrainment journal November 2019
Maintaining low-mode symmetry control with extended pulse shapes for lower-adiabat Bigfoot implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal November 2019
Indirect drive ignition at the National Ignition Facility journal October 2016
Toward a burning plasma state using diamond ablator inertially confined fusion (ICF) implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) journal November 2018
Beyond alpha-heating: driving inertially confined fusion implosions toward a burning-plasma state on the National Ignition Facility journal November 2018
Experimental investigation of the collective stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering of multiple laser beams in inertial confinement fusion experiments journal December 2019
A 3D dynamic model to assess the impacts of low-mode asymmetry, aneurysms and mix-induced radiative loss on capsule performance across inertial confinement fusion platforms journal December 2018
Progress of indirect drive inertial confinement fusion in the United States journal July 2019
Indications of flow near maximum compression in layered deuterium-tritium implosions at the National Ignition Facility journal August 2016
Experimental demonstration of low laser-plasma instabilities in gas-filled spherical hohlraums at laser injection angle designed for ignition target journal March 2017
Diffusion-dominated mixing in moderate convergence implosions journal June 2018
Energy transfer between lasers in low-gas-fill-density hohlraums journal November 2018
Generation and Beaming of Early Hot Electrons onto the Capsule in Laser-Driven Ignition Hohlraums journal February 2016
First Investigation on the Radiation Field of the Spherical Hohlraum journal July 2016
Development of Improved Radiation Drive Environment for High Foot Implosions at the National Ignition Facility journal November 2016
First Octahedral Spherical Hohlraum Energetics Experiment at the SGIII Laser Facility journal April 2018
Thermal Temperature Measurements of Inertial Fusion Implosions journal August 2018
High-Performance Indirect-Drive Cryogenic Implosions at High Adiabat on the National Ignition Facility journal September 2018
A novel three-axis cylindrical hohlraum designed for inertial confinement fusion ignition preprint January 2016

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