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Development of an inertial confinement fusion platform to study charged-particle-producing nuclear reactions relevant to nuclear astrophysics

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4979186· OSTI ID:1348901
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  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); HEDP DIVISION, MIT PLASMA SCIENCE AND FUSION CENTER
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  3. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)
  4. Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States)
  5. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  6. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
  7. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  8. Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Arpajon (France)
  9. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  10. Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Reading (United Kingdom). Plasma Physics Dept.
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here, this paper describes the development of a platform to study astrophysically relevant nuclear reactions using inertial-confinement fusion implosions on the OMEGA and National Ignition Facility laser facilities, with a particular focus on optimizing the implosions to study charged-particle- producing reactions. Primary requirements on the platform are high yield, for high statistics in the fusion product measurements, combined with low areal density, to allow the charged fusion products to escape. This is optimally achieved with direct-drive exploding pusher implosions using thin-glass-shell capsules. Mitigation strategies to eliminate a possible target sheath potential which would accelerate the emitted ions are discussed. The potential impact of kinetic effects on the implosions is also considered. The platform is initially employed to study the complementary T(t,2n)α, T(3He,np)α and 3He(3He,2p)α reactions. Proof-of-principle results from the first experiments demonstrating the ability to accurately measure the energy and yields of charged particles are presented. Lessons learned from these experiments will be used in studies of other reactions. Ultimately, the goals are to explore thermonuclear reaction rates and fundamental nuclear physics in stellarlike plasma environments, and to push this new frontier of nuclear astrophysics into unique regimes not reachable through existing platforms, with thermal ion velocity distributions, plasma screening, and low reactant energies.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0002949; NA0001857; NA0002905; FG02-88ER40387; NA0002035
OSTI ID:
1348901
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1348903
OSTI ID: 1349782
OSTI ID: 1363698
OSTI ID: 1574759
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL--704778
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 24; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (5)

Optimization of a high-yield, low-areal-density fusion product source at the National Ignition Facility with applications in nucleosynthesis experiments journal May 2018
Modified parameterization of the Li-Petrasso charged-particle stopping power theory journal December 2019
Proton Spectra from He 3 + T and He 3 + He 3 Fusion at Low Center-of-Mass Energy, with Potential Implications for Solar Fusion Cross Sections journal November 2017
Experimental Evidence of a Variant Neutron Spectrum from the T ( t , 2 n ) α Reaction at Center-of-Mass Energies in the Range of 16–50 keV journal July 2018
SkyNet: A Modular Nuclear Reaction Network Library journal December 2017

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