(Experimental development, testing and research work in support of the inertial confinement fusion program)

Technical Report · Fri Apr 27 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6477785· OSTI ID:6477785

Johnson, R; Luckhardt, R; Terry, N; Drake, D; Gaines, J ^[1]

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1. eds.

This KMS Fusion Semi-Annual Technical Report covers the period October 1989 through March 1990. It contains a review of work performed by KMS Fusion, Inc. (KMSF), in support of the national program to achieve inertially confined fusion (ICF). A major section of the report is devoted to target technology, a field which is expected to play an increasingly important role in the overall KMSF fusion effort. Among the highlights of our efforts in this area covered in this report are: improvements and new developments in target fabrication techniques, including a discussion of techniques for introducing gaussian bumps and bands on target surfaces. Development of a single automated system for the interferometric characterization of transparent shells. Residual gas analysis of the blowing gases contained in glass shells made from xerogels. These usually include CO{sub 2}, O{sub 2} and N{sub 2}, and are objectionable because they dilute the fuel. Efforts to observe the ice layers formed in the {beta}-layering process in cryogenic targets, and to simulate the formation of these layers. In addition to our work on target technology, we conducted experiments with the Chroma laser and supported the ICF effort at other labs with theoretical and computational support as well as diagnostic development. Included in the work covered in this report are: experiments on Chroma to study interpenetration of and ionization balance in laser generated plasmas. Diagnostic development, including an optical probe for the Aurora laser at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and a high energy x-ray continuum spectrograph for Aurora. Investigation of the radiation cooling instability as a possible mechanism for the generation of relatively cold, dense jets observed in ICF experiments.

• Research Organization: KMS Fusion, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-87DP10560
• OSTI ID: 6477785
• Report Number(s): KMSF-U-2375; ON: DE91002771
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
CONFINEMENT
CRYOGENICS
DEPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
FUEL PELLETS
FUELS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
IONIZATION
LASER TARGETS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
PELLETS
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PROGRESS REPORT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY