Beam propagation considerations in the Aurora laser system

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Fusion Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5687597

Rosoche, L A; McLeod, J; Hanlon, J A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Alamos National Lab., P.O. Box 1663, MS E548, Los Alamos, NM 87545

Aurora is a high-power KrF laser system now being constructed for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) studies. It will use optical angular multiplexing and serial amplification by electron-beam-driven KrF amplifiers to deliver a stacked, multikilojoule 5-ns-duration laser pulse to ICF targets. The requirements of angular multiplexing KrF lasers at the multikilojoule level dictate path lengths on the order of 1 km. The inherent complicated path crossings produced by angular multiplexing and pulse stacking do not allow isolation of individual beam lines, so the optical quality of the long beam paths must be controlled. Propagation of the 248-nm light beams over long paths in air is affected by scattering, absorption thermal gradients and turbulence, beam alignment, and control and optical component figure errors.

• OSTI ID: 5687597
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technology; (United States) Vol. 11:3; ISSN 0748-1896; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ABSORPTION
ALIGNMENT
AMPLIFICATION
AMPLIFIERS
AURORA FACILITY
BEAM OPTICS
ELECTRON BEAM PUMPING
INCIDENCE ANGLE
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
KRYPTON FLUORIDE LASERS
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LASER TARGETS
MULTIPLEXERS
PULSES
QUALITY CONTROL
SCATTERING
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TURBULENCE