Title: Three-dimensional modeling of the neutron spectrum to infer plasma conditions in cryogenic inertial confinement fusion implosions

Abstract

Neutron-based diagnostics are typically used to infer compressed core conditions such as areal density and ion temperature in deuterium–tritium (D–T) inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. Asymmetries in the observed neutron-related quantities are important to understanding failure modes in these implosions. Neutrons from fusion reactions and their subsequent interactions including elastic scattering and neutron-induced deuteron breakup reactions are tracked to create spectra. Here, it is shown that background subtraction is important for inferring areal density from backscattered neutrons and is less important for the forward-scattered neutrons. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a cryogenic implosion on the OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] using the hydrodynamic code HYDRA [M. M. Marinak et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2275 (2001)] is post-processed using the tracking code IRIS3D. It is shown that different parts of the neutron spectrum from the view can be mapped into different regions of the implosion, enabling an inference of an areal-density map. It is also shown that the average areal-density and an areal-density map of the compressed target can be reconstructed with a finite number of detectors placed around the target chamber. Ion temperatures are inferred from the width of the D–D andmore » D–T fusion neutron spectra. Backgrounds can significantly alter the inferred ion temperatures from the D–D reaction, whereas they insignificantly influence the inferred D–T ion temperatures for the areal densities typical of OMEGA implosions. Asymmetries resulting in fluid flow in the core are shown to influence the absolute inferred ion temperatures from both reactions, although relative inferred values continue to reflect the underlying asymmetry pattern. The work presented here is part of the wide range of the first set of studies performed with IRIS3D. Finally, this code will continue to be used for post-processing detailed hydrodynamic simulations and interpreting observed neutron spectra in ICF implosions.« less

Authors:

Weilacher, F. ^[1]; Radha, P. B. ^[1]; Forrest, C. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

Publication Date:

Thu Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:

1437584

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1434830

Report Number(s):

2017-20; 14-02
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; 2017-20, 1402, 2358

Grant/Contract Number:  

NA0001944

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 4; 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; Inertial Confinement Fusion; Areal Density; Ion temperature; Nuclear diagnostics; Plasma Conditions