A Platform for Opacity Experiments on the NIF

ORAL · Invited

Abstract

Radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of the sun, stars, and other high-energy-density plasma require knowing the x-ray opacities of the constituent materials. These opacities are generally calculated from theory. There is little spectrally resolved, experimental opacity data of plasma at the temperatures and densities found in the interior of stars. Recent opacity experiments on the Sandia National Laboratories Z machine have shown up to factors of two discrepancies between theory and experiment. To help resolve this discrepancy an experimental platform for doing opacity experiments has been developed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The effort has been led by scientists from both Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories with support from Sandia, the Nevada National Security Site, General Atomics, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and the University of Texas at Austin. Initial opacity data has been taken on both iron and oxygen at temperatures around 150 eV and densities around 1022 electrons/cc. This data will be compared with theory and with similar data obtained at the Z facility. This data may have implications for modeling the structure of the sun and the age of white dwarf stars. The current status and future plans for the experiments will be presented. 

–

Publication: Y.P. Opachich, E.S. Dodd, R.F. Heeter, C.D. Harris, H.M. Johns, J.L. Kline, N.S.
Krasheninnikova, M.J. May, A.S. Moore, M.S. Rubery, M.B. Schneider, T.J. Urbatsch, K.
Widmann, and T.S. Perry, "DANTE as a primary temperature diagnostic for the NIF iron
opacity campaign," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 033519 (2021).
M.S. Wallace, R.F. Heeter, R.A. Knight, A.M. Durand, J.M. Heinmiller, R.B. Lara, D.A.
Max, E.C. Dutra, E.J. Huffman, J. Ayers, J.A. Emig, T.N. Archuleta, T.J. Urbatsch, and T.S.
Perry, "Upgrades and redesign of the National Ignition Facility's soft x-ray opacity
spectrometer (OpSpec)," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 035108 (2021).
E.C. Dutra, J. Cowan, T. Cunningham, A.M. Durand, J. Emig, R.F. Heeter, J. Knauer, R.A.
Knight, R. Lara, T.S. Perry, Z. Rodriguez, G. Torres, and M.S. Wallace, "Characterization of
AGFA D4 and D3sc X-ray films in the 0.7 to 4.6 keV energy range," Rev. Sci.
Instrum. 92, 075103 (2021).
T.S. Perry, R.F. Heeter, Y.P. Opachich, H.M. Johns, J.A. King, E.S. Dodd, B.G. DeVolder,
M.E. Sherrill, B.G. Wilson, C..A. Iglesias, J.L. Kline, T. Cardenas, M.B. Schneider, D.A.
Liedahl, T.J. Urbatsch, M.R. Douglas, J.E. Bailey, and G.A. Rochau, "Progress toward NIF
opacity measurements," High Energy Density Physics 35, 100728 (2020).
T.S. Perry, R.F. Heeter, Y.P. Opachich, J.A. King, E.S. Dodd, B.G. DeVolder, M.E.
Sherrill, B.G. Wilson, C.A. Iglesias, J.L. Kline, K.A. Flippo, T. Cardenas, J.A. Emig, T.N.
Archuleta, E.J. Huffman, M.F. Ahmed, M.B. Schneider, D.A. Liehdahl, T.J. Urbatsch, J.E.
Bailey, and G.A. Rochau, "Update on the opacity experiments on the NIF," ASP Conf. Ser.
515 (2018).
R.F. Heeter, T.S Perry, H.M. Johns, Y.P. Opachich, M.F. Ahmed, J.A. Emig, J. Holder,
C.A. Iglesias, D.A. Liehdahl, R.A. London, M.E. Martin, N.B. Thompson, B.G. Wilson, T.A.
Archuleta, T. Cardenas, E.S. Dodd, M.R. Douglas, K.A. Flippo, C. Fontes, J.L. Kline, L. Kot,
N.S. Krasheninnikova, M.E. Sherrill, T.J. Urbatsch, E.J. Huffman, J.A. King, R. Knight, J.E.
Bailey, and G.A. Rochau, "Iron X-ray Transmission at Temperature Near 150 eV Using the
National Ignition Facility: First Measurements and Paths to Uncertainty Reduction," Atoms 6,
57 (2018).
E.S. Dodd, B.G. DeVolder, M.E. Martin, N.S. Krasheninnikova, I.L. Tregillis, T.S. Perry,
R.F. Heeter, Y.P. Opachich, A.S. Moore, J.L. Kline, H.M. Johns, D.A. Liedahl, T. Cardenas,
R.E. Olsen, and T.J. Urbatsch, "Hohlraum modeling for opacity experiments on the National
Ignition Facility," Phys. Plasma 25, 063301 (2018).
T. Cardenas, D.W. Schmidt, E.S. Dodd, T.S. Perry, D. Cappelli, T. Quintana, J.A. Ortel, D.
Peterson, E. Giraldez, R.F. Heeter, "Design and fabrication of opacity targets for the National
Ignition Facility," Fusion Sci. Tech. 73(3) (2018).
J.A. King, Y.P. Opachich, E.J. Huffman, R. Knight, R.F. Heeter, M. Ahmed, D.A. Liedahl,
M.B. Schneider, N.B. Thompson, H.M. Johns, E. Dodd, K.A. Flippo, J.L. Kline, F.E. Lopez,
T.N. Archuleta, T.S. Perry, "Implementation of a 1-2 keV point-projection x-ray spectrometer
on the National Ignition Facility," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 10F101 (2018).
Y. P. Opachich, R. F. Heeter, M. A. Barrios, E. M. Garcia, R. S. Craxton, J. A. King, D. A.
Liedahl, P. W. McKenty, M. B. Schneider, M. J. May, R. Zhang, P. W. Ross, J. L. Kline, A. S.
Moore, J. L. K. A. Flippo, and T. S. Perry, "Capsule implosions for continuum x-ray
backlighting of opacity samples at the National Ignition Facility," Phys. Plasma 24 (6) (2017).
R. F. Heeter, J. E. Bailey, R. S. Craxton, B. G. DeVolder, E. S. Dodd, E. M. Garcia, E. J.
Huffman, C. A. Iglesias, J. A. King, J. L. Kline, D. A. Liedahl, P. W. McKenty, Y. P.
Opachich, G. A. Rochau, P. W. Ross, M. B. Schneider, M. E. Sherrill, B. G. Wilson, R.
Zhang, T. S. Perry, "Conceptual design of initial opacity experiments on the national ignition
facility," J. Plasma Phys. 83 (2017).
T. S. Perry, R. F. Heeter, Y. P. Opachich, P. W. Ross, J. L Kline, K. A. Flippo, M. E.
Sherrill, E. S. Dodd, B. G. DeVolder, T. Cardenas, T. N. Archuleta, R. S. Craxton, R. Zhang,
P. W. McKenty, E. M. Garcia, E. J. Huffman, J. A. King, M. F. Ahmed,J. A. Emig, S. L.
Ayers, M. A. Barrios, M. J. May, M. B. Schneider, D. A. Liedahl, B. G. Wilson, T. J.
Urbatsch, C. A. Iglesias, J. E. Bailey, and G. A. Rochau, "Replicating the Z iron opacity
experiments on the NIF," High Energy Density Physics, 23, 223 (2017).
P. W. Ross, R. F. Heeter, M. F. Ahmed, E. Dodd, E. J. Huffman, D. A. Liedahl, J. A. King,
Y. P. Opachich, M. B. Schneider, and T. S. Perry, "Design of the opacity spectrometer for
opacity measurements at the National Ignition Facility," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 87 (11) 11D623
(2016).
P. W. Ross, M. F. Ahmed, J. E. Bailey, G. S. Dunham, J. A. Emig, R. F. Heeter, E. J.
Huffman, T. S. Perry, Y. P. Opachich, D. A. Liedahl, D. A. M. Schneider, G. F. Stone, J. A.
Koch, G. P Grim, "Opacity spectrometer design for opacity measurements at the National
Ignition Facility," Proc. SPIE, 9591 959101-1 (2015).

Presenters

  • Theodore S Perry

    Los Alamos Natl Lab

Authors

  • Theodore S Perry

    Los Alamos Natl Lab