Design Considerations for a Cone in a Fast Ignition Capsule
An alternative to inertial fusion with central ignition is 'fast ignition', in which one laser compresses the DT fuel adiabatically and a second laser with a short, very intense pulse heats the compressed core with super-thermal electrons. One approach to fast ignition entails the introduction of the second laser beam via a hollow cone that pierces the side of the capsule. Critical considerations for the design of the cone in such an experiment include: (1) perturbation of the implosion by the cone; (2) minimization of the column density of material between the critical density surface for the ignitor beam and the converged high density region; (3) positioning, alignment, and shape of the cone to minimize deleterious hydrodynamic effects; and (4) effect of radiation gradients around the cone on the symmetry of the implosion. This study entails the 2D and 3D simulations of a fast-ignitor experiment having a cryogenic deuterium-tritium capsule imploded within a high-Z hohlraum heated by about 650 kJ of 3{omega} laser beams on the NIF.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 967716
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-PROC-417877
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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