Fabrication of surface perturbations on inertial confinement fusion targets

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:535580

Jared, B H; Dow, T A; Garrard, K P ^[1]

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1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); and others

The production of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets for the National Ignition Facility is an important goal being pursued at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The geometry of ICF targets must be very well controlled as surface perturbations can create hydrodynamic instabilities when the targets are imploded during the fusion process. Targets with known surface features are currently being fabricated and tested in an attempt to better understand the impact of surface perturbations in ICF. Experimental data collected using targets with known surface features is also being compared with theoretical data generated by computer models. Surface perturbations on flat target surfaces were initially produced by LANL using a standard diamond turning machine. Surface features have also been machined onto cylindrical ICF targets using both a precision fly-cutter mounted onto a diamond turning machine (DTM), and a piezoelectrically actuated tool which follows a reference surface on a rotating cam. Since each of these methods have limitations, an alternate target fabrication process has been developed at the Precision Engineering Center (PEC) which utilizes a fast tool servomechanism (FTS) mounted onto a diamond turning machine. The FTS system will give LANL the ability to produce more complex surface geometries with greater precision and a substantially reduced machining time than was previously possible.

• OSTI ID: 535580
• Report Number(s): CONF-961111--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
FABRICATION
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER TARGETS
MACHINING