Measurements of Laser-Preheat–Induced Mix in Scaled Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion Implosions

Previous studies using the scaled-down magnetized linear inertial fusion platform at the Omega Laser Facility demonstrated significant yield enhancement with preheat and magnetization in cylindrical implosions. However, initial simulations indicating increased performance with preheat energy were not validated in the experiments. Further experiments performed using titanium tracer layers were used to ascertain if and how certain types of mix affected implosions. Measurements using a Fresnel zone plate and multipurpose spectrometer verified that mix from the interior wall of the cylinder was the primary cause of performance degradation, while simultaneously ruling out mix from preheat window material.