Performance Optimization of High-Yield Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions

ORAL

Abstract

The goal of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions is to create a self-heating central region (hot spot) and launch a burn wave into the main fuel. Reaching ignition conditions in the hot spot requires maximizing the product of the hot-spot pressure and radius (phsRhs) so that the Lawson criterion is satisfied. On the other hand, the efficient burn of the main fuel and high yields (> 100 MJ) require a fuel areal density in excess of ρR > 1.5 g/cm2 and a hot-spot temperature of Ths > 30 keV. This talk revisits the dependencies of key fuel metrics at peak compression (phs, Rhs, ρR) on implosion parameters (implosion velocity, ablation pressure, fuel adiabat, etc.) and defines a strategy for achieving ignition and robust high yields in ICF implosions, considering limitations imposed by hydrodynamic instabilities and laser-plasma interaction physics.

*This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] University of Rochester "National Inertial Confinement Fusion Program" under Award Number DE-NA0004144

–

Presenters

  • Valeri N Goncharov

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

Authors

  • Valeri N Goncharov

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

  • William Thomas Trickey

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Alexander Shvydky

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

  • Timothy J Collins

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester