Experimental Studies of Direct-Drive, Low-Intensity, Low-Adiabat Spherical Implosions on OMEGA

Journal Article · Wed Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 2006 · Physics of Plasmas

OSTI ID:899497

Smalyuk, V A ^[1]; Betti, R; Delettrez, J A; Glebov, V Yu; Goncharov, V N; Li, D Y; Meyerhofer, D D; Regan, S P; Roberts, S; Sangster, T C; Stoeckl, C; Seka, W; Frenje, J A; Li, C K; Petrasso, R D; Seguin, F H

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1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Low-adiabat (high-compressibility) implosions were performed with shells filled with 15 atm of D2 gas driven with ~12.5 kJ, 3-ns-square pulse shapes, and a laser intensity of ~2 x 10^14 W/cm^2. Initial target modulations, imprinted on the target surface by laser nonuniformities, were varied by using drive with and without smoothing by spectral dispersion. The performance of the spherical implosions was correlated with measured target modulations at the end of the acceleration pulse performed in a planar target with similar conditions using through-foil radiography. The neutron yield decreases sharply when target modulations become comparable with the target thickness at the end of the acceleration phase. The measured target areal densities are less sensitive to target modulations.

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-92SF19460
• OSTI ID: 899497
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/19460-727; 1688; 2006-168
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Vol. 14; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELERATION
DIRECT DRIVE LASER IMPLOSION
IMPLOSIONS
LASERS
NEUTRONS
PERFORMANCE
TARGETS
THICKNESS