Modelling debris and shrapnel generation in inertial confinement fusion experiments

Journal Article · Thu Oct 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Nuclear Fusion

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/53/11/113037· OSTI ID:1438620

Eder, D. C. ^[1]; Fisher, A. C. ^[1]; Koniges, A. E. ^[2]; Masters, N. D. ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Modelling and mitigation of damage are crucial for safe and economical operation of high-power laser facilities. Experiments at the National Ignition Facility use a variety of targets with a range of laser energies spanning more than two orders of magnitude (~14 kJ to ~1.9 MJ). Low-energy inertial confinement fusion experiments are used to study early-time x-ray load symmetry on the capsule, shock timing, and other physics issues. For these experiments, a significant portion of the target is not completely vaporized and late-time (hundreds of ns) simulations are required to study the generation of debris and shrapnel from these targets. Damage to optics and diagnostics from shrapnel is a major concern for low-energy experiments. Here, we provide the first full-target simulations of entire cryogenic targets, including the Al thermal mechanical package and Si cooling rings. We use a 3D multi-physics multi-material hydrodynamics code, ALE-AMR, for these late-time simulations. The mass, velocity, and spatial distribution of shrapnel are calculated for three experiments with laser energies ranging from 14 to 250 kJ. We calculate damage risk to optics and diagnostics for these three experiments. For the lowest energy re-emit experiment, we provide a detailed analysis of the effects of shrapnel impacts on optics and diagnostics and compare with observations of damage sites.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC); Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344; AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1438620
• Report Number(s): LLNL-JRNL-626315; TRN: US1900470
• Journal Information: Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 53, Issue 11; ISSN 0029-5515
• Publisher: IOP Science
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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