Reduced scale National Ignition Facility capsule design

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873086· OSTI ID:658490

Dittrich, T R; Haan, S W; Marinak, M M; Pollaine, S M; McEachern, R ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)

In this article we describe the design and simulated performance characteristics of an indirectly-driven inertial confinement fusion capsule which utilizes only 900 kJ of laser energy and 250 TW of laser power from the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Paisner {ital et al.}, Laser Focus World {bold 30}, 75 (1994)]. This intentional reduction in laser performance from the nominal NIF specifications of 1.8 MJ and 500 TW results in lowering the hohlraum x-ray drive temperature from 300 eV to 250 eV. These energy and radiation temperature reductions are believed to define a {open_quotes}lower bound{close_quotes} on the successful implosion of an ignition capsule. This reduced scale capsule has a beryllium ablator containing a radially varying copper dopant, and a cryogenic solid deuterium{endash}tritium fuel layer surrounding a cavity filled with equilibrium vapor pressure gaseous deuterium and tritium. Two-dimensional simulations predict ignition and propagated burn from this capsule when either Rayleigh{endash}Taylor instability or time-dependent drive asymmetry effects are included. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 658490
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 5; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COPPER
DESIGN
IGNITION SYSTEMS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SIMULATION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION
X RADIATION