The Nike KrF laser facility: Performance and initial target experiments

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871661· OSTI ID:282924

Obenschain, S P; Bodner, S E; Colombant, D; Gerber, K; Lehmberg, R H; McLean, E A; Mostovych, A N; Pronko, M S; Pawley, C J; Schmitt, A J; Sethian, J D; Serlin, V; Stamper, J A; Sullivan, C A ^[1]; Dahlburg, J P; Gardner, J H ^[2]; Chan, Y; Deniz, A V; Hardgrove, J; Lehecka, T ^[3] ; Klapisch, M ^[4]

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1. Code 6730 Plasma Physics Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
2. Laboratory for Computational Physics, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
3. Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, Virginia 22102 (United States)
4. Artep, Inc., Columbia, Maryland 21045 (United States)

Krypton-fluoride (KrF) lasers are of interest to laser fusion because they have both the large bandwidth capability ({approx_gt}THz) desired for rapid beam smoothing and the short laser wavelength (1/4 {mu}m) needed for good laser{endash}target coupling. Nike is a recently completed 56-beam KrF laser and target facility at the Naval Research Laboratory. Because of its bandwidth of 1 THz FWHM (full width at half-maximum), Nike produces more uniform focal distributions than any other high-energy ultraviolet laser. Nike was designed to study the hydrodynamic instability of ablatively accelerated planar targets. First results show that Nike has spatially uniform ablation pressures ({Delta}{ital p}/{ital p}{lt}2{percent}). Targets have been accelerated for distances sufficient to study hydrodynamic instability while maintaining good planarity. In this review we present the performance of the Nike laser in producing uniform illumination, and its performance in correspondingly uniform acceleration of targets. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 282924
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 3; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABLATION
DIRECT DRIVE LASER IMPLOSION
KRYPTON FLUORIDE LASERS
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
PERFORMANCE