Cryogenic-laser-fusion target implosion studies performed with the OMEGA uv-laser system

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Physical Review (Section) A: General Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.40.2547· OSTI ID:5588096

Marshall, F J; Letzring, S A; Verdon, C P; Skupsky, S; Keck, R L; Knauer, J P; Kremens, R L; Bradley, D K; Kessler, T; Delettrez, J; others, and

A series of direct-drive laser-fusion implosion experiments was performed on cryogenically cooled, DT-filled glass microballoons with the OMEGA 24-beam uv (351-nm) laser system. The targets consisted of glass microballoons having radii of 100 to 150 {mu}m, wall thicknesses of 3 to 7 {mu}m, filled with DT gas at pressures of 75 to 100 atm. The targets were cooled to below the freezing point of DT, {ital in} {ital situ}, by a cryogenic target system. The targets were irradiated by approximately 1 to 1.2 kJ of uv light in 650-ps Gaussian pulses. The on-target irradiation uniformity was enhanced for these experiments by the use of distributed phase plates, which brought the estimated irradiation nonuniformities to {similar to}12% ({sigma}{sub rms}). Target performance was diagnosed by an array of x-ray, plasma, and nuclear instruments. The measured target performance showed {similar to}70% absorption, thermonuclear yields of 10{sup 6} to 10{sup 8} neutrons, and final fuel areal densities of 20 to 40 mg/cm{sup 2} for the optimum targets examined in these experiments. Fuel densities at the time of thermonuclear neutron production, inferred from direct measurements of the fuel areal density, were in the range of 20 to 50 g/cm{sup 3} (100 to 200 times the density of liquid DT) for the optimum targets.

• OSTI ID: 5588096
• Journal Information: Physical Review (Section) A: General Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review (Section) A: General Physics; (USA) Vol. 40:5; ISSN PLRAA; ISSN 0556-2791
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ADIABATIC COMPRESSION HEATING
CRYOGENICS
DENSITY
DEUTERIUM TRITIDE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FUELS
FUSION YIELD
HEATING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMPLOSIONS
LASER IMPLOSIONS
LASER TARGETS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
OMEGA FACILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA HEATING
RADIATIONS
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
TRITIDES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ULTRALOW TEMPERATURE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
YIELDS