Laser-Direct-Drive Energy-Coupling Experiments Using Spherical Solid-Plastic Targets on the NIF

ORAL

Abstract

Energy-coupling experiments relevant to laser-direct-drive (LDD) ignition-target designs are being conducted on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using a spherical, solid-plastic target with a 2.1 mm diam. One hundred eighty-four NIF laser beams having total energy of 0.5 MJ irradiated the target in a Polar-Direct-Drive (PDD) geometry with a peak intensity of 8x10$^{\mathrm{14}}$ W/cm$^{\mathrm{2}}$. The trajectory of the spherically-converging shock wave was recorded using gated, x-ray backlighting at 8.4-keV. Solid spheres offer the advantage for quantifying energy coupling without the challenges from hydrodynamic instabilities of thin shell implosions or kinetic effects in exploding pushers. Initial shock-trajectory measurements will be presented and compared with 2-D \textit{DRACO} radiation-hydrodynamics simulations using CBET and nonlocal heat-transport models. The overarching goal is to test the scaling arguments of PDD implosions from the 20-kJ OMEGA (configured for PDD) to the 2.1 MJ NIF.

*This material is based upon work supported by the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0003856.

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Authors

  • Sean Regan

    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics - University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • LLE-UR
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • Lab for Laser Energetics

  • Wolfgang Theobald

    • University of Rochester
    • Lab for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • LLE
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • P.B. Radha

    • University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester

  • R. Betti

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • LLE
    • University of Rochester
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • Lab for Laser Energetics

  • M.J. Rosenberg

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, NY
    • LLE
    • University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • K.S. Anderson

    • Lab for Laser Energetics
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester

  • J. A. Marozas

    • Lab for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester

  • T. J. B. Collins

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • University of Rochester

  • V. N. Goncharov

    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • D. Turnbull

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • LLE, University of Rochester

  • C.M. Shuldberg

    • General Atomics

  • R.W. Luo

    • General Atomics

  • R. Heredia

    • LLNL

  • R. Scott

    • STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab
    • CLF, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK
    • Rutherford Appelton Laboratory

  • K. Glize

    • Rutherford Appelton Laboratory

  • B. Bachmann

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • LLNL

  • T. Doeppner

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • LLNL

  • M. Hohenberger

    • Lawrence Livermore National Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • LLNL

  • A. Colaitis

    • CELIA, Univ. of Bordeaux

  • A. Casner

    • CELIA, Univ. of Bordeaux

  • E. M. Campbell

    • University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • LLE, Univ. of Rochester
    • Lab for Laser Energetics