Inferring shell kinematics during fusion burn through precise gamma ray timing

Near peak compression, inertial confinement fusion implosions release both deuterium–tritium (DT) fusion gamma rays and neutron induced gamma rays from carbon from of the remaining ablator shell. The gamma reaction history diagnostic makes a time resolved measurement of both. Across many recent implosions, the carbon gamma ray peak arrives systematically 10 ps later compared to DT fusion burn. The timing shift is consistent with the carbon areal density increasing throughout the peak of the fusion burn, implying that the carbon portion of the capsule continues to converge. A model finds that the observed timing shift is consistent with a 4π averaged carbon ablator inward velocity of 80 μm/ns for the contemporary National Ignition Facility implosions. The timing shift is possibly related to the energy balance of the implosion, with the expectation that a high performing, igniting capsule would see the carbon gamma rays arrive before the DT fusion peak.