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Title: Low Fuel Convergence Path to Direct-Drive Fusion Ignition

Abstract

A new class of inertial fusion capsules is presented that combines multishell targets with laser direct drive at low intensity (2.8 × 1014 W/cm2) to achieve robust ignition. The targets consist of three concentric, heavy, metal shells, enclosing a volume of tens of μg of liquid deuterium-tritium fuel. Ignition is designed to occur well “upstream” from stagnation, with minimal pusher deceleration to mitigate interface Rayleigh-Taylor growth. As a result, laser intensities below thresholds for laser plasma instability and cross beam energy transfer facilitate high hydrodynamic efficiency (~10%).

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE (originally DOE/LANL); USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1410615
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1259339
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-20796
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; TRN: US1800136
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 116; Journal Issue: 25; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Molvig, Kim, Schmitt, Mark J., Albright, Brian James, Dodd, Evan S., Hoffman, Nelson M., McCall, Gene H., and Ramsey, Scott D. Low Fuel Convergence Path to Direct-Drive Fusion Ignition. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.255003.
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Molvig, Kim, Schmitt, Mark J., Albright, Brian James, Dodd, Evan S., Hoffman, Nelson M., McCall, Gene H., & Ramsey, Scott D. Low Fuel Convergence Path to Direct-Drive Fusion Ignition. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.255003
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Molvig, Kim, Schmitt, Mark J., Albright, Brian James, Dodd, Evan S., Hoffman, Nelson M., McCall, Gene H., and Ramsey, Scott D. Fri . "Low Fuel Convergence Path to Direct-Drive Fusion Ignition". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.255003. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1410615.
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@article{osti_1410615,
title = {Low Fuel Convergence Path to Direct-Drive Fusion Ignition},
author = {Molvig, Kim and Schmitt, Mark J. and Albright, Brian James and Dodd, Evan S. and Hoffman, Nelson M. and McCall, Gene H. and Ramsey, Scott D.},
abstractNote = {A new class of inertial fusion capsules is presented that combines multishell targets with laser direct drive at low intensity (2.8 × 1014 W/cm2) to achieve robust ignition. The targets consist of three concentric, heavy, metal shells, enclosing a volume of tens of μg of liquid deuterium-tritium fuel. Ignition is designed to occur well “upstream” from stagnation, with minimal pusher deceleration to mitigate interface Rayleigh-Taylor growth. As a result, laser intensities below thresholds for laser plasma instability and cross beam energy transfer facilitate high hydrodynamic efficiency (~10%).},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.255003},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 25,
volume = 116,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.255003
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Cited by: 24 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Laser-direct-drive program: Promise, challenge, and path forward
    journal, March 2017

    • Campbell, E. M.; Goncharov, V. N.; Sangster, T. C.
    • Matter and Radiation at Extremes, Vol. 2, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1016/j.mre.2017.03.001

    The physics of long- and intermediate-wavelength asymmetries of the hot spot: Compression hydrodynamics and energetics
    journal, October 2017

    • Bose, A.; Betti, R.; Shvarts, D.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 24, Issue 10
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.4995250

    Stable and confined burn in a Revolver ignition capsule
    journal, August 2018

    • Molvig, Kim; Schmitt, Mark J.; Betti, Riccardo
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 8
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5037224

    Design considerations for indirectly driven double shell capsules
    journal, September 2018

    • Montgomery, D. S.; Daughton, W. S.; Albright, B. J.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 9
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5042478

    First experiments on Revolver shell collisions at the OMEGA laser
    journal, July 2019

    • Scheiner, Brett; Schmitt, Mark J.; Hsu, Scott C.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5099975

    First experiments on Revolver shell collisions at the OMEGA Laser
    text, January 2019

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