Effects of Ionization Gradients on Inertial-Confinement-Fusion Capsule Hydrodynamic Stability

Journal Article · Fri Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.101.115004· OSTI ID:21179709

Amendt, Peter ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

A linear perturbation analysis based on velocity potentials is adapted to include the regional, average-ion charge states (Z) in an imploding, inertial-confinement-fusion capsule and shown to lead to superclassical Rayleigh-Taylor growth following deceleration onset. The added instability is ascribed to an inverted ion-entropy gradient driven by the stepwise ionization mismatch {delta}Z across the fuel-pusher interface and is predicted to principally occur in low Atwood-number (<0.5) implosions associated with low-Z pushers. Similar instability enhancement may pertain to supernovae phenomena and ionization fronts in H II protostellar regions.

• OSTI ID: 21179709
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.115004; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGE STATES
ENTROPY
IMPLOSIONS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
IONIZATION
PERTURBATION THEORY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PROTOSTARS
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SUPERNOVAE