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Title: High-resolution modeling of indirectly driven high-convergence layered inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4981222 · OSTI ID:1356149

In this study, we present the results of high-resolution simulations of the implosion of high-convergence layered indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion capsules of the type fielded on the National Ignition Facility using the xRAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code. In order to evaluate the suitability of xRAGE to model such experiments, we benchmark simulation results against available experimental data, including shock-timing, shock-velocity, and shell trajectory data, as well as hydrodynamic instability growth rates. We discuss the code improvements that were necessary in order to achieve favorable comparisons with these data. Due to its use of adaptive mesh refinement and Eulerian hydrodynamics, xRAGE is particularly well suited for high-resolution study of multi-scale engineering features such as the capsule support tent and fill tube, which are known to impact the performance of high-convergence capsule implosions. High-resolution two-dimensional (2D) simulations including accurate and well-resolved models for the capsule fill tube, support tent, drive asymmetry, and capsule surface roughness are presented. These asymmetry seeds are isolated in order to study their relative importance and the resolution of the simulations enables the observation of details that have not been previously reported. We analyze simulation results to determine how the different asymmetries affect hotspot reactivity, confinement, and confinement time and how these combine to degrade yield. Yield degradation associated with the tent occurs largely through decreased reactivity due to the escape of hot fuel mass from the hotspot. Drive asymmetries and the fill tube, however, degrade yield primarily via burn truncation, as associated instability growth accelerates the disassembly of the hotspot. Finally, modeling all of these asymmetries together in 2D leads to improved agreement with experiment but falls short of explaining the experimentally observed yield degradation, consistent with previous 2D simulations of such capsules.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1356149
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1361832
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-17-20790
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 24, Issue 5; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 58 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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The effects of convergence ratio on the implosion behavior of DT layered inertial confinement fusion capsules journal July 2017
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Review of hydro-instability experiments with alternate capsule supports in indirect-drive implosions on the National Ignition Facility journal July 2018
Diagnostic signatures of performance degrading perturbations in inertial confinement fusion implosions journal December 2018
Impact of imposed mode 2 laser drive asymmetry on inertial confinement fusion implosions journal January 2019
Robustness to hydrodynamic instabilities in indirectly driven layered capsule implosions journal January 2019
Modeling of direct-drive cylindrical implosion experiments with an Eulerian radiation-hydrodynamics code journal April 2019
Experimental study of energy transfer in double shell implosions journal May 2019
Turbulent mixing and transition criteria of flows induced by hydrodynamic instabilities journal August 2019
Three-dimensional modeling and hydrodynamic scaling of National Ignition Facility implosions journal May 2019
Effects of thermal conductivity of liquid layer in NIF wetted foam experiments journal September 2019
Computational study of instability and fill tube mitigation strategies for double shell implosions journal October 2019
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