A Coupled Vlasov-Rosenbluth-Fokker-Planck and Radiation Modeling of a NIF Polar Direct Drive Exploding Pusher Capsule

POSTER

Abstract

Polar direct-drive exploding pusher (PDD-EP) capsules at NIF have been proposed as high-fluence neutron sources and a platform for neutron capture cross-section measurement for laboratory astrophysics experiments. Due to the low fill density and high-temperature conditions supported by PDD-EP capsules, however, the Knudsen number far exceeds unity, requiring a Vlasov-Fokker-Planck (VFP) kinetic description for the plasmas to correctly account for transport effects. The iFP spherical implosion VFP code [1] has recently been extended to include radiation capabilities that leverages the LANL TOPS LTE opacity library. We use iFP to model the Cutie PDD EP experiment [2] and report on observable metrics like nuclear yield and burn-averaged quantities. We present first-of-a-kind simulation results that faithfully account for kinetic plasma and radiation effects and compare our results with predictions from the xRAGE radiation hydrodynamic code and experiments.

[1] W.T. Taitano et al., Comp. Phys. Comm., 263 (2021) 107861

[2] C.B. Yeamans et al., Nucl. Fusion, 61 (2021) 046031

*This work was performed under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy at Los Alamos National Laboratory, managed by Triad National Security, LLC under contract 89233218CNA000001.

Presenters

  • William Taitano

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Authors

  • William Taitano

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

  • Steven E Anderson

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Luis Chacon

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Hans R Hammer

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Brett D Keenan

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Andrei N. Simakov

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab