Energy Scaling of Laser Direct-Drive Implosion Performance on OMEGA

ORAL

Abstract

The best implosions at the Omega Laser Facility have achieved ~20% of the Lawson product needed to ignite. As these experiments are limited to 30 kJ of laser energy, the capabilities of future laser-direct-drive (LDD) systems is a strong function of fusion performance versus driver energy, as well as any mechanisms that depend on scale. Prominent examples include cross-beam energy transfer, two-plasmon decay, and stimulated Raman scattering. To assess the behavior of LDD systems versus laser energy and target size, we have performed experiments where total energy (and capsule radius) is reduced a factor of ~2 (1.25). We find that fusion yield and areal density increase quickly with laser energy and target size, and much faster than 1D theory would typically expect. We discuss these observations, and show they are consistent with 2D simulations assuming the main flaws in the laser and target are ~ fixed in physical dimensions. For context, we will also consider several extrapolations of LDD under a variety of scenarios. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Awards No. DE-NA0004414 and No. DE-NA0003856, the University of Rochester, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

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Presenters

  • Cliff A Thomas

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

Authors

  • Cliff A Thomas

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

  • James P Knauer

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

  • Christian Stoeckl

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

  • Michael J Rosenberg

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

  • Sean P Regan

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Timothy J Collins

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Valeri N Goncharov

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

  • Riccardo Betti

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energy, Rochester, NY, USA.

  • Dustin H Froula

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

  • Christopher Deeney

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Kenneth S Anderson

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • K. A Bauer

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Mark J Bonino

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

  • Duc M Cao

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

  • Stephen S Craxton

    • University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE)
    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Dana H Edgell

    • University of Rochester - Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Reuben Epstein

    • University of Rochester

  • Sarah Fess

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Chad Forrest

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

  • Vladimir Glebov

    • Lab for Laser Energetics

  • Varchas Gopalaswamy

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

  • David R Harding

    • University or Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Igor V Igumenshchev

    • Lab for Laser Energetics

  • Steven T Ivancic

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

  • Douglas W Jacobs-Perkins

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Roger T Janezic

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Tirtha Raj Joshi

    • Lab For Laser Energetics

  • Michael Koch

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Joe Kwiatkowski

    • University of Rochester, LLE

  • Aarne Lees

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

  • Frederic J Marshall

    • University of Rochester

  • Michael Michalko

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Samuel Morse

    • Kwiatkowski

  • Dhrumir P Patel

    • University of Rochester

  • Jonathan L Peebles

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • P. B Radha

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • University of Rochester

  • Hans G Rinderknecht

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE)

  • Siddharth Sampat

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Thomas C Sangster

    • University of Rochester

  • Rahul C Shah

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

  • Walter T Shmayda

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • David P Turnbull

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

  • Wolfgang Theobald

    • Focused Energy
    • Focused Energy GmbH
    • University of Rochester

  • Conner A Williams

    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • SNL

  • Edward M Campbell

    • MCM Consultants

  • Alison R Christopherson

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Max Tabak

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Neil B Alexander

    • General Atomics - San Diego
    • General Atomics

  • Mike P Farrell

    • GA

  • Claudia M Shuldberg

    • GA