A pulsed-power implementation of “Laser Gate” for increasing laser energy coupling and fusion yield in magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF)

Miller, S. M.; Slutz, S. A.; Bland, S. N.; Klein, S. R.; Campbell, P. C.; Woolstrum, J. M.; Kuranz, C. C.; Gomez, M. R.; Jordan, N. M.; McBride, R. D.

doi:10.1063/1.5139663

A pulsed-power implementation of “Laser Gate” for increasing laser energy coupling and fusion yield in magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF)

Journal Article · Thu Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5139663· OSTI ID:1633986

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[4]; Campbell, P. C. ^[4]; ^[4]; ^[4]; ^[2]; ^[4]; ^[4]

Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Cornell - Imperial College
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) at Sandia National Laboratories involves a laser preheating stage,where a few-ns laser pulse passes through a few-micron-thick plastic window to preheat gaseous fusion fuel contained within the MagLIF target. Interactions with this window reduce heating e ciency and mix window and target materials into the fuel. A recently proposed idea called \Laser Gate" involves removing the window well before the preheating laser is applied. In this article, we introduce experimental proof-of-principle results for a pulsed-power implementation of Laser Gate, where a thin current-carrying wire weakens the perimeter of the window, allowing the fuel pressure to push the window open and away from the preheating laser path. For this e ort, transparent targets were fabricated and a test facility capable of studying this version of Laser Gate was developed. A 12-frame bright- eld laser schlieren/shadowgraphy imaging system captured the window opening dynamics on microsecond timescales. The images exhibit that the window remains largely intact as it opens and detaches from the target. A column of escaping pressurized gas appears to prevent the detached window from inadvertently moving into the preheating laser path.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; NA0002956; NA0003525; NA0003764; NA0003864

OSTI ID:: 1633986

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1634187
OSTI ID: 1778052

Report Number(s):: SAND--2021-3901J

Journal Information:: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 91; ISSN 0034-6748

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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