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Title: A comprehensive alpha-heating model for inertial confinement fusion

Abstract

In this paper, a comprehensive model is developed to study alpha-heating in inertially confined plasmas. It describes the time evolution of a central low-density hot spot confined by a compressible shell, heated by fusion alphas, and cooled by radiation and thermal losses. The model includes the deceleration, stagnation, and burn phases of inertial confinement fusion implosions, and is valid for sub-ignited targets with ≤10× amplification of the fusion yield from alpha-heating. The results of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations are used to derive realistic initial conditions and dimensionless parameters for the model. It is found that most of the alpha energy (~90%) produced before bang time is deposited within the hot spot mass, while a small fraction (~10%) drives mass ablation off the inner shell surface and its energy is recycled back into the hot spot. Of the bremsstrahlung radiation emission, ~40% is deposited in the hot spot, ~40% is recycled back in the hot spot by ablation off the shell, and ~20% leaves the hot spot. We show here that the hot spot, shocked shell, and outer shell trajectories from this analytical model are in good agreement with simulations. Finally, a detailed discussion of the effect of alpha-heating on the hydrodynamics ismore » also presented.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Fusion Science Center. Lab. for Laser Energetics
  2. Technical Univ. of Madrid (Spain)
  3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
OSTI Identifier:
1427517
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1416080
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0001944; FC02-04ER54789
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Christopherson, A. R., Betti, R., Bose, A., Howard, J., Woo, K. M., Campbell, E. M., Sanz, J., and Spears, B. K. A comprehensive alpha-heating model for inertial confinement fusion. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4991405.
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Christopherson, A. R., Betti, R., Bose, A., Howard, J., Woo, K. M., Campbell, E. M., Sanz, J., & Spears, B. K. A comprehensive alpha-heating model for inertial confinement fusion. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4991405
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Christopherson, A. R., Betti, R., Bose, A., Howard, J., Woo, K. M., Campbell, E. M., Sanz, J., and Spears, B. K. Mon . "A comprehensive alpha-heating model for inertial confinement fusion". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4991405. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1427517.
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@article{osti_1427517,
title = {A comprehensive alpha-heating model for inertial confinement fusion},
author = {Christopherson, A. R. and Betti, R. and Bose, A. and Howard, J. and Woo, K. M. and Campbell, E. M. and Sanz, J. and Spears, B. K.},
abstractNote = {In this paper, a comprehensive model is developed to study alpha-heating in inertially confined plasmas. It describes the time evolution of a central low-density hot spot confined by a compressible shell, heated by fusion alphas, and cooled by radiation and thermal losses. The model includes the deceleration, stagnation, and burn phases of inertial confinement fusion implosions, and is valid for sub-ignited targets with ≤10× amplification of the fusion yield from alpha-heating. The results of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations are used to derive realistic initial conditions and dimensionless parameters for the model. It is found that most of the alpha energy (~90%) produced before bang time is deposited within the hot spot mass, while a small fraction (~10%) drives mass ablation off the inner shell surface and its energy is recycled back into the hot spot. Of the bremsstrahlung radiation emission, ~40% is deposited in the hot spot, ~40% is recycled back in the hot spot by ablation off the shell, and ~20% leaves the hot spot. We show here that the hot spot, shocked shell, and outer shell trajectories from this analytical model are in good agreement with simulations. Finally, a detailed discussion of the effect of alpha-heating on the hydrodynamics is also presented.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4991405},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 1,
volume = 25,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {1}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4991405
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Cited by: 8 works
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. FIG.: The pressure from Eq. (10) as a function of the hot-spot volume. The blue regions represents the condition $\chi$no $\alpha$ < 1, where the pressure decays as the volume expands since the alpha-heating is not enough to overcome expansion losses. For $\chi$no $\alpha$ = 1, the alpha-heating is exactlymore » balanced by the expansion losses and the pressure remains constant. The red region, where $\chi$no $\alpha$ > 1, represents the ignited region where the pressure increases without bound since the alpha- heating rate is larger than the plasma-expansion rate.« less
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Tripled yield in direct-drive laser fusion through statistical modelling
    journal, January 2019

    Effects of residual kinetic energy on yield degradation and ion temperature asymmetries in inertial confinement fusion implosions
    journal, May 2018

    • Woo, K. M.; Betti, R.; Shvarts, D.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 5
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5026706

    Theory of alpha heating in inertial fusion: Alpha-heating metrics and the onset of the burning-plasma regime
    journal, July 2018

    • Christopherson, A. R.; Betti, R.; Howard, J.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5030337

    Alpha heating enhancement in MagLIF targets: A simple analytic model
    journal, January 2019

    • Paradela, J.; García-Rubio, F.; Sanz, J.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5079519

    On alpha-particle transport in inertial fusion
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    • Zylstra, A. B.; Hurricane, O. A.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 6
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5101074

    Beyond alpha-heating: driving inertially confined fusion implosions toward a burning-plasma state on the National Ignition Facility
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    • Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 61, Issue 1
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    Review of hydrodynamic instability experiments in inertially confined fusion implosions on National Ignition Facility
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    • Smalyuk, V. A.; Weber, C. R.; Landen, O. L.
    • Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 62, Issue 1
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    Ion friction at small values of the Coulomb logarithm
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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

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