Results from Marble Experiments Using an Argon/Tritium Fill Gas for Studying the Effect of Heterogeneous Mix on Thermonuclear Burn

ORAL

Abstract

The Marble\footnote{T J Murphy {\it et al,} J Phys:Conf Series {\bf 717}, 012072 (2016).} campaign on NIF quantifies the effect of heterogeneous mix on thermonuclear burn for comparison to a probability distribution function (PDF) burn model.\footnote{J R Fincke, unpublished; J R Ristorcelli, Phys Fluids 29, 020705 (2017).} MARBLE utilizes plastic capsules filled with deuterated plastic foam and tritium-containing gas. Indirect-drive experiments in which the Marble capsules were filled with a hydrogen/tritium gas mix and driven with either a single strong shock or using a 2-shock drive have been completed. The ratio of DT to DD neutron yield for these shots is consistent with that for uniform atomic mix regardless of the initial morphology of the foam. Recent experiments, in which the hydrogen-tritium fill gas is replaced with an argon-tritium mixture, has shown the expected decrease in DT/DD yield ratio with non-uniform initial foam morphology.

*This work is supported by US DOE/NNSA, performed at LANL, operated by Triad National Security LLC under contract 89233218CNA000001.

Authors

  • Thomas J Murphy

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • B. J. Albright

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Melissa Douglas

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Tana Cardenas

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • James Cooley

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Thomas Day

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Mark Gunderson

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Jeff Haack

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos National Lab
  • B.M. Haines

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Christopher Hamilton

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Yongho Kim

    • LANL
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Matthew Lee

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • John Oertel

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • R. E. Olson

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • LANL
  • Blaine Randolph

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Joseph Smidt

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • L. Yin

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory