Plans for Double Shell Experiments on NIF

ORAL

Abstract

Double-shells are an alternative approach to achieving indirect drive ignition. These targets consist of a low-Z ablatively-driven outer shell that impacts a high-Z inner shell filled with DT fuel. In contrast to single-shell designs, double-shell targets burn the fuel via volume ignition, albeit with a lower gain. While double-shell capsules are complicated to fabricate, their design includes several beneficial metrics such as a low convergence pusher (C.R. $<$ 10), low implosion speed ($\sim$ 250 km/s), a simple few-ns laser drive in a vacuum hohlraum, less sensitivity to hohlraum asymmetries, and low expected laser-plasma instabilities. We present preliminary double-shell capsule designs for NIF using a cryogenic gas DT fill which are optimized for yield and minimized for fall-line mix. Challenges will be discussed, as well as uncertainties and trade-offs in the physics issues compared to single-shells. A development path for double-shell experiments on NIF will be presented.

*Work performed under the auspices of DOE by LANL under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396

Authors

  • D.S. Montgomery

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • W.S. Daughton

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Labs
  • M.A. Gunderson

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • A.N. Simakov

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
  • D.C. Wilson

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • LANL
  • R.G. Watt

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • J.L. Kline

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • LANL
    • None
  • A.C. Hayes

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • H.W. Herrmann

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • M. Boswell

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • C.R. Danly

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • F.E. Merrill

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • S. Batha

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • P.A. Amendt

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • J.L. Milovich

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • LLNL
  • H.F. Robey

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab