Burning plasma achieved in inertial fusion

Zylstra, A. B.; Hurricane, O. A.; Callahan, D. A.; Kritcher, A. L.; Ralph, J. E.; Robey, H. F.; Ross, J. S.; Young, C. V.; Baker, K. L.; Casey, D. T.; Döppner, T.; Divol, L.; Hohenberger, M.; Le Pape, S.; Pak, A.; Patel, P. K.; Tommasini, R.; Ali, S. J.; Amendt, P. A.; Atherton, L. J.; Bachmann, B.; Bailey, D.; Benedetti, L. R.; Berzak Hopkins, L.; Betti, R.; Bhandarkar, S. D.; Biener, J.; Bionta, R. M.; Birge, N. W.; Bond, E. J.; Bradley, D. K.; Braun, T.; Briggs, T. M.; Bruhn, M. W.; Celliers, P. M.; Chang, B.; Chapman, T.; Chen, H.; Choate, C.; Christopherson, A. R.; Clark, D. S.; Crippen, J. W.; Dewald, E. L.; Dittrich, T. R.; Edwards, M. J.; Farmer, W. A.; Field, J. E.; Fittinghoff, D.; Frenje, J.; Gaffney, J.; Gatu Johnson, M.; Glenzer, S. H.; Grim, G. P.; Haan, S.; Hahn, K. D.; Hall, G. N.; Hammel, B. A.; Harte, J.; Hartouni, E.; Heebner, J. E.; Hernandez, V. J.; Herrmann, H.; Herrmann, M. C.; Hinkel, D. E.; Ho, D. D.; Holder, J. P.; Hsing, W. W.; Huang, H.; Humbird, K. D.; Izumi, N.; Jarrott, L. C.; Jeet, J.; Jones, O.; Kerbel, G. D.; Kerr, S. M.; Khan, S. F.; Kilkenny, J.; Kim, Y.; Geppert Kleinrath, H.; Geppert Kleinrath, V.; Kong, C.; Koning, J. M.; Kroll, J. J.; Kruse, M. G.; Kustowski, B.; Landen, O. L.; Langer, S.; Larson, D.; Lemos, N. C.; Lindl, J. D.; Ma, T.; MacDonald, M. J.; MacGowan, B. J.; Mackinnon, A. J.; MacLaren, S. A.; MacPhee, A. G.; Marinak, M. M.; Mariscal, D. A.; Marley, E. V.; Masse, L.; Meaney, K.; Meezan, N. B.; Michel, P. A.; Millot, M.; Milovich, J. L.; Moody, J. D.; Moore, A. S.; Morton, J. W.; Murphy, T.; Newman, K.; Di Nicola, J.-M. G.; Nikroo, A.; Nora, R.; Patel, M. V.; Pelz, L. J.; Peterson, J. L.; Ping, Y.; Pollock, B. B.; Ratledge, M.; Rice, N. G.; Rinderknecht, H.; Rosen, M.; Rubery, M. S.; Salmonson, J. D.; Sater, J.; Schiaffino, S.; Schlossberg, D. J.; Schneider, M. B.; Schroeder, C. R.; Scott, H. A.; Sepke, S. M.; Sequoia, K.; Sherlock, M. W.; Shin, S.; Smalyuk, V. A.; Spears, B. K.; Springer, P. T.; Stadermann, M.; Stoupin, S.; Strozzi, D. J.; Suter, L. J.; Thomas, C. A.; Town, R. J.; Tubman, E. R.; Trosseille, C.; Volegov, P. L.; Weber, C. R.; Widmann, K.; Wild, C.; Wilde, C. H.; Van Wonterghem, B. M.; Woods, D. T.; Woodworth, B. N.; Yamaguchi, M.; Yang, S. T.; Zimmerman, G. B.

doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04281-w

Burning plasma achieved in inertial fusion

Journal Article · Tue Jan 25 23:00:00 EST 2022 · Nature (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04281-w· OSTI ID:1860813

; ; Callahan, D. A.; ; Ralph, J. E.; Robey, H. F.; Ross, J. S.; ; Baker, K. L.; ; ; Divol, L.; ; Le Pape, S.; Pak, A.; Patel, P. K.; ; ; Amendt, P. A.; Atherton, L. J. more »

Obtaining a burning plasma is a critical step towards self-sustaining fusion energy. A burning plasma is one in which the fusion reactions themselves are the primary source of heating in the plasma, which is necessary to sustain and propagate the burn, enabling high energy gain. After decades of fusion research, here we achieve a burning-plasma state in the laboratory. These experiments were conducted at the US National Ignition Facility, a laser facility delivering up to 1.9 megajoules of energy in pulses with peak powers up to 500 terawatts. We use the lasers to generate X-rays in a radiation cavity to indirectly drive a fuel-containing capsule via the X-ray ablation pressure, which results in the implosion process compressing and heating the fuel via mechanical work. The burning-plasma state was created using a strategy to increase the spatial scale of the capsule through two different implosion concepts. These experiments show fusion self-heating in excess of the mechanical work injected into the implosions, satisfying several burning-plasma metrics. Additionally, we describe a subset of experiments that appear to have crossed the static self-heating boundary, where fusion heating surpasses the energy losses from radiation and conduction. These results provide an opportunity to study α-particle-dominated plasmas and burning-plasma physics in the laboratory.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1860813

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1861997
OSTI ID: 1868232

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-819741; 1030740

Journal Information:: Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 7894 Vol. 601; ISSN 0028-0836

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Burning plasma achieved in inertial fusion

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Burning plasma achieved in inertial fusion

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