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Title: A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF

Abstract

Combining laser beams in a plasma is enabled by seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering which allows cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) to occur and re-distributes the energy between beams that cross with different incident angles and small differences in wavelength [Kirkwood et al. Phys. Plasmas 4, 1800 (1997)]. Indirect-drive implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Haynam et al. Appl. Opt. 46, 3276–3303 (2007)] have controlled drive symmetry by using plasma amplifiers to transfer energy between beams [Kirkwood et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 55, 103001 (2013); Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 020501 (2014); and Hurricane et al. Nature 506, 343–348 (2014)]. Here, we show that the existing models are well enough validated by experiments to allow a design of a plasma beam combiner that, once optimized, is expected to produce a pulse of light in a single beam with the energy greatly enhanced over existing sources. The scheme combines up to 61 NIF beams with 120 kJ of available energy into a single f/20 beam with a 1 ns pulse duration and a 351 nm wavelength by both resonant and off-resonance CBET. Initial experiments are also described that have already succeeded in producing a 4 kJ, 1 ns pulse inmore » a single beam by combination of up to eight incident pump beams containing <1.1 kJ/beam, which are maintained near resonance for CBET in a plasma that is formed by 60 pre-heating beams [Kirkwood et al., Nat. Phys. 14, 80 (2018)].« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1458628
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1425537
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-741662
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; 895784; TRN: US1901486
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 5; 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; phase transitions; intense particle beams; plasma confinement; plasma instabilities; hurricanes; x-rays; stimulated scattering; plasma density; electromagnetic radiation

Citation Formats

Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L. A., Colaitis, A., Dunlop, W. H., Poole, P., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B. J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., and Blue, B. E. A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5016310.
Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L. A., Colaitis, A., Dunlop, W. H., Poole, P., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B. J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., & Blue, B. E. A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5016310
Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L. A., Colaitis, A., Dunlop, W. H., Poole, P., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B. J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., and Blue, B. E. Mon . "A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5016310. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1458628.
@article{osti_1458628,
title = {A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF},
author = {Kirkwood, R. K. and Turnbull, D. P. and Chapman, T. and Wilks, S. C. and Rosen, M. D. and London, R. A. and Pickworth, L. A. and Colaitis, A. and Dunlop, W. H. and Poole, P. and Moody, J. D. and Strozzi, D. J. and Michel, P. A. and Divol, L. and Landen, O. L. and MacGowan, B. J. and Van Wonterghem, B. M. and Fournier, K. B. and Blue, B. E.},
abstractNote = {Combining laser beams in a plasma is enabled by seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering which allows cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) to occur and re-distributes the energy between beams that cross with different incident angles and small differences in wavelength [Kirkwood et al. Phys. Plasmas 4, 1800 (1997)]. Indirect-drive implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Haynam et al. Appl. Opt. 46, 3276–3303 (2007)] have controlled drive symmetry by using plasma amplifiers to transfer energy between beams [Kirkwood et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 55, 103001 (2013); Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 020501 (2014); and Hurricane et al. Nature 506, 343–348 (2014)]. Here, we show that the existing models are well enough validated by experiments to allow a design of a plasma beam combiner that, once optimized, is expected to produce a pulse of light in a single beam with the energy greatly enhanced over existing sources. The scheme combines up to 61 NIF beams with 120 kJ of available energy into a single f/20 beam with a 1 ns pulse duration and a 351 nm wavelength by both resonant and off-resonance CBET. Initial experiments are also described that have already succeeded in producing a 4 kJ, 1 ns pulse in a single beam by combination of up to eight incident pump beams containing <1.1 kJ/beam, which are maintained near resonance for CBET in a plasma that is formed by 60 pre-heating beams [Kirkwood et al., Nat. Phys. 14, 80 (2018)].},
doi = {10.1063/1.5016310},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 5,
volume = 25,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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