Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

A thermodynamic condition for ignition and burn-propagation in cryogenic layer inertially confined fusion implosions

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0035583· OSTI ID:1763935

A Lawson-like criterion for ignition (where self-heating dominates over all energy losses) in a dynamic implosion is developed, which accounts for asymmetry and for differences in an implosion x-ray confinement quality. It is shown that the thermodynamic ignition condition is equivalent to yield amplification levels of 16–32. Since negative pdV work of expansion after stagnation increases energy losses above that of x-ray and electron-conduction losses, the Lawson-like ignition criterion is necessary but not sufficient for igniting the hot spot to propagate into the DT fuel with sufficient vigor to generate high gain. Additionally, a higher dimensional generalization of the Lawson-like criterion, which includes the cooling of the implosion upon disassembly, does provide the needed criteria, and it shows that significantly higher temperature is needed for very high levels of yield amplification compared to what traditional ignition metrics imply.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1763935
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1970562
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL--795287; 996447
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 28; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (30)

Fuel gain exceeding unity in an inertially confined fusion implosion journal February 2014
Hot-spot dynamics and deceleration-phase Rayleigh–Taylor instability of imploding inertial confinement fusion capsules journal December 2001
Ignition condition and gain prediction for perturbed inertial confinement fusion targets journal November 2001
Deceleration phase of inertial confinement fusion implosions journal May 2002
Publisher’s Note: “A measurable Lawson criterion and hydro-equivalent curves for inertial confinement fusion” [Phys. Plasmas 15, 102707 (2008)] journal July 2009
Thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion and comparison with magnetic confinement journal May 2010
Performance metrics for inertial confinement fusion implosions: Aspects of the technical framework for measuring progress in the National Ignition Campaign journal May 2012
Metrics for long wavelength asymmetries in inertial confinement fusion implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal April 2014
Effects of residual kinetic energy on yield degradation and ion temperature asymmetries in inertial confinement fusion implosions journal May 2018
Theory of alpha heating in inertial fusion: Alpha-heating metrics and the onset of the burning-plasma regime journal July 2018
Beryllium capsule implosions at a case-to-capsule ratio of 3.7 on the National Ignition Facility journal October 2018
Progress toward a self-consistent set of 1D ignition capsule metrics in ICF journal December 2018
Approaching a burning plasma on the NIF journal May 2019
Implosion performance of subscale beryllium capsules on the NIF journal May 2019
On alpha-particle transport in inertial fusion journal June 2019
Development of the indirect‐drive approach to inertial confinement fusion and the target physics basis for ignition and gain journal November 1995
Inertial confinement fusion ignition criteria, critical profiles, and burn wave propagation using self-similar solutions journal May 1997
Similarity solution of thermonuclear burn wave with electron and α-conductivities journal December 1976
Some Criteria for a Power Producing Thermonuclear Reactor journal January 1957
Beyond alpha-heating: driving inertially confined fusion implosions toward a burning-plasma state on the National Ignition Facility journal November 2018
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
Scaling laws for ignition at the National Ignition Facility from first principles journal October 2013
Generalized Measurable Ignition Criterion for Inertial Confinement Fusion journal April 2010
High-Adiabat High-Foot Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosion Experiments on the National Ignition Facility journal February 2014
Design of a High-Foot High-Adiabat ICF Capsule for the National Ignition Facility journal February 2014
Alpha Heating and Burning Plasmas in Inertial Confinement Fusion journal June 2015
Fusion Energy Output Greater than the Kinetic Energy of an Imploding Shell at the National Ignition Facility journal June 2018
High-Performance Indirect-Drive Cryogenic Implosions at High Adiabat on the National Ignition Facility journal September 2018
Impact of Localized Radiative Loss on Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions journal April 2020
Generalized Lawson Criteria for Inertial Confinement Fusion report August 2015

Similar Records

A pushered capsule implosion as an alternate approach to the ignition regime for inertial confinement fusion
Journal Article · Wed Dec 15 23:00:00 EST 2021 · Physics of Plasmas · OSTI ID:1860748

Thermonuclear ignition and the onset of propagating burn in inertial fusion implosions
Journal Article · Sun Feb 24 23:00:00 EST 2019 · Physical Review E · OSTI ID:1498067