Performance of thermal cavitation technique for fuel loading in spherical cryogenic foam target for laser fusion

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Examined has been the performance of cryogenic fuel loading into a spherical foam shell target for laser fusion program by means of thermal cavitation technique to nondestructively measure the loaded fuel mass in situ. Experimental results on the loaded mass by means of the thermal cavitation technique ranged from 95% to 135% of the fully saturated fuel mass, which was measured by the resonance elastic vibration technique. In order to discuss the variation in loaded fuel mass, we have analyzed the exact bridge profile formed between the shell and the liquid fuel surface and the capillary binding force. Sublimation of the loaded fuel before the laser irradiation is considered to achieve quantitatively controlled accurate fuel loading, including fuel shrinkage by phase changing and the incoming thermal radiation circumstantially.