Design of High-Neutron-Yield, Polar-drive targets for diagnostic activation experiments on the NIF

Abstract

Polar-drive (PD) target implosions have been designed for neutron diagnostic development on the NIF. These experiments use thin, room-temperature glass shells filled with low pressures of DT. Initial target implosions on the NIF will produce DT yields in the range of a few 1014 neutrons. The predicted yields are consistent with earlier data (1014 neutrons at 30 kJ) and recent PD scoping experiments performed on OMEGA. The experiments will use existing x-ray-drive phase plates with judicious repointing and defocusing to drive the implosions as uniformly as possible. These implosions have been modeled with three codes: LILAC, to optimize the 1-D design; SAGE, to optimize the pointing uniformity; and DRACO, to predict the yield from 2-D implosion simulations. Current simulation results indicate that the required yields will be obtained using up to 200-kJ UV light formed into a 1500-ps Gaussian pulse. Large-diameter glass shells (∼1500-μm OD) are under development and fabrication at General Atomics. As tritium and environmental conditions evolve, similar target designs, with larger diameters and higher laser energies, are expected to produce thermonuclear yields approaching 1016 neutrons.