Predicting hot electron generation in inertial confinement fusion with particle-in-cell simulations

ORAL

Abstract

The success of inertial confinement fusion requires a comprehensive understanding of laser plasma interactions and the resulting hot electrons generation. We performed a series of 2D Particle-In-Cell simulations with speckled laser drivers to study hot-electron generation in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion on OMEGA. Scaling laws were obtained for hot electron fraction and temperature as functions of laser/plasma conditions in the quarter-critical region. Using these scalings and conditions from hydro simulations, the temporal history of hot electron generation can be predicted. After taking potential inaccuracies in hydro and PIC simulations into account, our prediction agreed with the experimental hard X-ray data within experimental error bars for a collection of OMEGA warm target implosions.

These scalings can readily be implemented into ICF design codes and we expect that new ignition-relevant regimes can be predicted with the same approach.

*This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0003856, the University of Rochester, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. We thank the UCLA-IST OSIRIS Consortium for the use of OSIRIS.

–

Presenters

  • Shihui Cao

    • University of Rochester

Authors

  • Shihui Cao

    • University of Rochester

  • Dhrumir Patel

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Aarne Lees

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

  • Varchas Gopalaswamy

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Christian Stoeckl

    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Michael J Rosenberg

    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Han Wen

    • University of Rochester

  • Hu Huang

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Alexander Shvydky

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

  • Riccardo Betti

    • University of Rochester
    • University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Chuang Ren

    • University of Rochester