CH Ablator Research Articles

First bromine doped cryogenic implosion at the National Ignition Facility

We report on the first experiment dedicated to the study of nuclear reactions on dopants in a cryogenic capsule at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This was accomplished using bromine doping in the inner layers of the CH ablator of a capsule identical to that used in the NIF shot N140520. The capsule was doped with 3 × 1016 bromine atoms. The doped capsule shot, N170730, resulted in a DT yield that was 2.6 times lower than the undoped equivalent. The Radiochemical Analysis of Gaseous Samples (RAGS) system was used to collect and detect 79Kr atoms resulting from energetic deuteron and proton ion reactions on 79Br. RAGS was also used to detect 13N produced dominantly by knock-on deuteron reactions on the 12C in the ablator. High-energy reaction-in-flight neutrons were detected via the 209Bi(n,4n)206Bi reaction, using bismuth activation foils located 50 cm outside of the target capsule. The robustness of the RAGS signals suggests that the use of nuclear reactions on dopants as diagnostics is quite feasible.

Measuring and simulating ice–ablator mix in inertial confinement fusion

Fuel–ablator mix has been established as a major performance degrading effect in the burning plasma regime of recent inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. As such, the study of fuel–ablator mix with experiments and simulations can provide valuable insight for our understanding of these experiments and establish a path for even higher yields and increased robustness. We present a novel high-yield experimental ICF design that is motivated by recent experiments measuring ice–ablator mix with a CH ablator instead of a high-density carbon (HDC) ablator [B. Bachmann et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 275001 (2022)]. We review these experiments in more detail and describe the modeling assumptions and parameters used to obtain agreement with the data from implosion and burn simulations with mix. Using this mix model calibrated a posteriori to the experimental data, we design an implosion that uses a CH ablator that is predicted to achieve better performance than a recent experiment that achieved net target gain of 1.5 in HDC. Because hydrodynamic instabilities are greatly reduced with this new design, we also expect a high reproducibility at the same implosion adiabat as current record yield experiments.

Control of low-mode drive asymmetry in an efficient long-pulse low gas-fill density Hohlraum

Laser-driven Hohlraums filled with gas at lower densities (<0.6 mg/cc) have higher efficiency compared to original ≥ 0.96 mg/cc fill because of reduced backscatter losses [Hall et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 052706 (2017)]. However, using low-density filled Hohlraums with longer drive required for lower adiabat implosions, and hence potentially higher inertial confinement fusion gain designs, has been challenging since the Hohlraum wall blow-off is less tamped, thus altering the laser beam absorption regions and drive symmetry. A series of NIF experiments using optimized pulse shaping, beam pointing, and temporal phasing have demonstrated, through imaging of the Hohlraum and capsule dynamics, that a symmetric implosion using a 14-ns low-adiabat drive pulse {2× longer than high-density-carbon ablator designs using low gas-fill density Hohlraums [Divol et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 056309 (2017)]} is possible in a low backscatter loss 0.45 mg/cc He-filled Hohlraum. The ingress of the Hohlraum walls was mitigated by revisiting the adiabat-shaped design [Clark et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 112705 (2014)] that uses a low-power (1 TW) trough that delays the wall expansion. Low-mode P2 and P4 drive asymmetry swings caused by the drift of the laser spots were essentially zeroed out by employing temporal beam phasing between cones of beams [Turner et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 333 (2000)]. The results also indicate an improved coupling efficiency of ∼30% compared to an earlier design using higher density filled Hohlraums and pave the way for revisiting low-adiabat, high convergence drives using CH ablators.

Optimizing doping parameters of target to enhance direct-drive implosion

To enhance direct-drive implosion performance while keeping the risk of hydrodynamic instability at a low level, we have designed a procedure to optimize the parameters of the target doped with mid- or high-Z material. In the procedure, a one-dimensional implosion process is simulated, while the effect of high-dimensional instability on its implosion performance is simultaneously evaluated. To find the optimal doping parameters, the procedure is performed in the framework of a global optimization algorithm, where we have used particle swarm optimization in the current work. The opacity of mixture materials quickly obtained by using an interpolation method shows a good agreement with the data of TOPS, a widely-used doping program developed in the Los Alamos National Laboratory. To test the procedure, optimization has been carried out for the CH ablator in the double-cone ignition scheme (Zhang et al 2020 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 378 20200015) by doping with Si and Cl. Both one- and two-dimensional simulations show that doping with either Si or Cl can efficiently mitigate the Rayleigh–Taylor instability during the acceleration phase and does not result in significant degradation of the peak areal density. The results from one- and two-dimensional simulations qualitatively match each other, demonstrating the validity of our optimization procedure. This optimization process will be a valuable tool in assisting us in the design of the target and in furthering our understanding of direct-drive implosion physics.

Erratum to: Calculation of Direct Drive Targets for Megajoule Laser Facilities with Radiation in the Second and Third Harmonics of Nd Laser

The numerical results for cryogenic direct drive targets of megajoule facilities with radiation in the second and third harmonics of a Nd laser are presented. The calculations were performed with the 1D radiation hydrodynamics code ERA with the laser light absorption model that takes into account stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), generation of fast electrons in the processes of two-plasmon decay (TPD), and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). The verification of the developed models was carried out on the basis of the comparison with experiments performed at the OMEGA and NIF facilities. The ignition margin (WQ) of nonuniform fusion targets with an allowance for energy losses due to radiation transfer and heat conduction from the hot spot was the objective of the target optimization. The calculations showed that SBS and target heating by fast electrons generated in TPD and SRS fatally reduce WQ of targets with a CH ablator for the megajoule laser with wavelength λ = 0.53 µm. The possibilities of decreasing these effects by replacing a CH ablator with a glass ablator and reducing the laser intensity upon increasing the target aspect ratio are considered. However, in both cases, WQ remains substantially below unity for the laser with wavelength λ = 0.53 µm. The ignition margin increases by a factor of ∼2 upon transition from the second to the third harmonic of a Nd laser. A glass ablator almost eliminates fast electrons in calculation with the laser wavelength λ = 0.35 µm. In this case, if SBS is reduced by a factor of 3–4 via shifting the laser emission lines in the neighboring channels by Δμ ≈ 10–20 A, the ignition margin WQ ∼ 2 and a fusion energy yield of ∼50 MJ are obtained in the 1D calculation for a laser energy of ∼2 MJ and the third harmonic of a Nd laser.

Calculation of Direct Drive Targets for Megajoule Laser Facilities with Radiation in the Second and Third Harmonics of Nd Laser

The numerical results for cryogenic direct drive targets of megajoule facilities with radiation in the second and third harmonics of a Nd laser are presented. The calculations were performed with the 1D radiation hydrodynamics code ERA with the laser light absorption model that takes into account stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), generation of fast electrons in the processes of two-plasmon decay (TPD), and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). The verification of the developed models was carried out on the basis of the comparison with experiments performed at the OMEGA and NIF facilities. The ignition margin (WQ) of nonuniform fusion targets with an allowance for energy losses due to radiation transfer and heat conduction from the hot spot was the objective of the target optimization. The calculations showed that SBS and target heating by fast electrons generated in TPD and SRS fatally reduce WQ of targets with a CH ablator for the megajoule laser with wavelength λ = 0.53 µm. The possibilities of decreasing these effects by replacing a CH ablator with a glass ablator and reducing the laser intensity upon increasing the target aspect ratio are considered. However, in both cases, WQ remains substantially below unity for the laser with wavelength λ = 0.53 µm. The ignition margin increases by a factor of ∼2 upon transition from the second to the third harmonic of a Nd laser. A glass ablator almost eliminates fast electrons in calculation with the laser wavelength λ = 0.35 µm. In this case, if SBS is reduced by a factor of 3–4 via shifting the laser emission lines in the neighboring channels by Δμ ≈ 10–20 A, the ignition margin WQ ∼ 2 and a fusion energy yield of ∼50 MJ are obtained in the 1D calculation for a laser energy of ∼2 MJ and the third harmonic of a Nd laser.

First polar direct-drive exploding-pusher target experiments on the ShenGuang laser facility**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11605178) and the Science Challenging Project, China (Grant Nos. JCKY2016212A505 and TZ2016001).

Low density and low convergence implosion occurs in the exploding-pusher target experiment, and generates neutrons isotropically to develop a high yield platform. In order to validate the performance of ShenGuang (SG) laser facility and test nuclear diagnostics, all 48-beam lasers with an on-target energy of 48 kJ were firstly used to drive room-temperature, DT gas-filled glass targets. The optimization has been carried out and optimal drive uniformity was obtained by the combination of beam repointing and target. The final irradiation uniformity of less than 5% on polar direct-drive capsules of in diameter was achieved, and the highest thermonuclear yield of the polar direct-drive DT fuel implosion at the SG was 1.04×1013. The experiment results show neutron yields severely depend on the irradiation uniformity and laser timing, and decrease with the increase of the diameter and fuel pressure of the target. The thin CH ablator does not impact the implosion performance, but the laser drive uniformity is important. The simulated results validate that the distribution laser design is reasonable and can achieve a symmetric pressure distribution. Further optimization will focus on measuring the symmetry of the hot spot by self-emission imaging, increasing the diameter, and decreasing the fuel pressure.

X-ray spectroscopy of planar laser-plasma interaction experiments at the National Ignition Facility

X-ray spectroscopy has been newly used to diagnose electron temperatures in planar-geometry experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) designed to study laser-plasma interactions at plasma conditions relevant to direct-drive ignition. These experiments used a buried co-mixed Mn/Co microstrip in a CH ablator in experiments that generated long scale-length plasmas susceptible to stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). Time-resolved Mn and Co K-shell spectra, diagnosed using the NIF x-ray spectrometer, were analyzed by fitting to synthetic spectra based on a detailed atomic model of emission from the microstrip. The electron temperature at the time when the microstrip passes through the quarter-critical density surface, the key region for the development of SRS, was inferred to be around 2–3 keV. These measurements constrain 2-D DRACO radiation-hydrodynamic modeling of the planar experiments, important for determining plasma conditions pertinent to SRS, and demonstrate that this platform approaches direct-drive ignition-relevant conditions. The modeling is also assessed by a direct comparison of measured spectra to modeled spectra generated by DRACO in conjunction with the atomic physics postprocessor code SPECT3D.

Development and modeling of a polar-direct-drive exploding pusher platform at the National Ignition Facility

High-intensity laser facilities, such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF), enable the experimental investigation of plasmas under extreme, high-energy-density conditions. Motivated by validating models for collisional heat-transfer processes in high-energy-density plasmas, we have developed an exploding pusher platform for use at the NIF in the polar-direct-drive configuration. The baseline design employs a 3 mm-diameter capsule, an 18 μm-thick CH ablator, and Ar-doped D2 gas to achieve several keV electron-ion temperature separations with relatively low convergence ratios. In an initial series of shots at the NIF—N160920–003, -005, and N160921–001—the ratio of the laser intensity at different polar angles was varied to optimize the symmetry of the implosion. Here we summarize experimental results from the shot series and present pre- and post-shot analysis. Although the polar-direct-drive configuration is inherently asymmetric, we successfully tuned a post-shot 1D model to a set of key implosion performance metrics. The post-shot model has proven effective for extrapolating capsule performance to higher incident laser drive. Overall, the simplicity of the platform and the efficacy of the post-shot 1D model make the polar-direct-drive exploding pusher platform attractive for a variety of applications beyond the originally targeted study of collisional processes in high-energy-density plasmas.

A review on ab initio studies of static, transport, and optical properties of polystyrene under extreme conditions for inertial confinement fusion applications

Polystyrene (CH), commonly known as “plastic,” has been one of the widely used ablator materials for capsule designs in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Knowing its precise properties under high-energy-density conditions is crucial to understanding and designing ICF implosions through radiation–hydrodynamic simulations. For this purpose, systematic ab initio studies on the static, transport, and optical properties of CH, in a wide range of density and temperature conditions (ρ = 0.1 to 100 g/cm3 and T = 103 to 4 × 106 K), have been conducted using quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations based on the density functional theory. We have built several wide-ranging, self-consistent material-properties tables for CH, such as the first-principles equation of state, the QMD-based thermal conductivity (κQMD) and ionization, and the first-principles opacity table. This paper is devoted to providing a review on (1) what results were obtained from these systematic ab initio studies; (2) how these self-consistent results were compared with both traditional plasma-physics models and available experiments; and (3) how these first-principles–based properties of polystyrene affect the predictions of ICF target performance, through both 1-D and 2-D radiation–hydrodynamic simulations. In the warm dense regime, our ab initio results, which can significantly differ from predictions of traditional plasma-physics models, compared favorably with experiments. When incorporated into hydrocodes for ICF simulations, these first-principles material properties of CH have produced significant differences over traditional models in predicting 1-D/2-D target performance of ICF implosions on OMEGA and direct-drive–ignition designs for the National Ignition Facility. Finally, we will discuss the implications of these studies on the current small-margin ICF target designs using a CH ablator.

Enhanced hot-electron production and strong-shock generation in hydrogen-rich ablators for shock ignition

Experiments were performed with CH, Be, C, and SiO2 ablators interacting with high-intensity UV laser radiation (5 × 1015 W/cm2, λ = 351 nm) to determine the optimum material for hot-electron production and strong-shock generation. Significantly more hot electrons are produced in CH (up to ∼13% instantaneous conversion efficiency), while the amount is a factor of ∼2 to 3 lower in the other ablators. A larger hot-electron fraction is correlated with a higher effective ablation pressure. The higher conversion efficiency in CH is attributed to stronger damping of ion-acoustic waves because of the presence of light H ions.

Confirmation of hot electron preheat with a Cu foam sphere on GEKKO-LFEX laser facility

Experiments with a solid Cu foam (∼1.3 g/cm3) sphere coated by a 20 μm CH ablator are performed on the GEKKO-LFEX laser facility to study the effect of hot electron preheat on the implosion performance. When the target is imploded by the GEKKO lasers (∼1.2 × 1015 W/cm2 in peak intensity), plenty of hot electrons are measured through the induced Cu Kα emission, indicating that the target could suffer strong preheat. This suffering of preheat is confirmed by the temporal evolution of the target self-emission, which is well reproduced by a 2D cylindrically symmetric radiative hydrodynamic code (FLASH) when a module handling the hot electron preheat is coupled. The results given by this benchmarked code indicate that, in the typical experiments with a small (∼200 μm in diameter) solid sphere target conducted on the GEKKO-LFEX laser facility, the hot electron preheat greatly degrades the implosion performance, reducing the peak areal densities of a Cu foam sphere and a CD sphere by ∼20% and ∼35%, respectively.

A dual-PIXE tomography setup for reconstruction of Germanium in ICF target

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is one type of fusion energy research which could initiate nuclear fusion reactions through heating and compressing thermonuclear fuel. Compared to a pure plastic target, Germanium doping into the CH ablator layer by Glow Discharge Polymer (GDP) technique can increase the ablation velocity and the standoff distance between the ablation front and laser-deposition region. During target fabrication process, quantitative doping of Ge should be accurately controlled. Particle Induced X-ray Emission Tomography (PIXE-T) can make not only quantification of the concentration, but also reconstruction of the spatial distribution of doped element. The Si (Li) detector for PIXE tomography technique had a disadvantage of low counting rate. To make up this deficiency, another detector of Si (Li) with the same configuration positioned at the opposite side with the same detective angle 135° have been implemented. Simultaneously acquired elemental maps of Ge obtained using two detectors may be different because of the X-ray absorption along the X-ray exit route in the target. In this paper, the X-ray detection efficiency is drastically improved by this dual-PIXE tomography system.

Asymmetric-shell ignition capsule design to tune the low-mode asymmetry during the peak drive

The low-mode radiation flux asymmetry in the hohlraum is a main source of performance degradation in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) implosion experiments. To counteract the deleterious effects of the large positive P2 flux asymmetry during the peak drive, this paper develops a new tuning method called asymmetric-shell ignition capsule design which adopts the intentionally asymmetric CH ablator layer or deuterium-tritium (DT) ice layer. A series of two-dimensional implosion simulations have been performed, and the results show that the intentionally asymmetric DT ice layer can significantly improve the fuel ρR symmetry, hot spot shape, hot spot internal energy, and the final neutron yield compared to the spherical capsule. This indicates that the DT asymmetric-shell capsule design is an effective tuning method, while the CH ablator asymmetric-shell capsule could not correct the fuel ρR asymmetry, and it is not as effective as the DT asymmetric-shell capsule design.

Diagnostic for determining the mix in inertial confinement fusion capsule hotspot

A diagnostic is developed for determining the hotspot mix in inertial confinement fusion experiments. A multi-channel pinhole camera measures Bremsstrahlung emissions from implosion capsules ranging from 6 keV to 30 keV and records an image of the hotspot. Meanwhile, a planar crystal spectrometer measures Ar line emissions used to deduce the electron density of the hotspot. An X-ray streaked camera records the burn duration. With the Bremsstrahlung spectrum, electron density, hotspot volume, and burn duration, the mix quantity is determined by solving a pair of linear equations. This inferred mix amount has an uncertainty due to the uncertainty of the electron density, but with the help of the measured neutron product, the most likely mix quantity value can be determined. This technique is applied to experimental images to infer the quantity of CH ablator mix into the hotspot.

Control of Be capsule low mode implosions symmetry at the National Ignition Facility

We present results of the beryllium experimental campaign on the implosion symmetry properties of beryllium capsules at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [1]. These indirect drive experiments measure both the inflight and core self-emission implosion symmetry. The inflight symmetry of the ablator before stagnation is measured using a backlight imaging technique. A copper backlighter was used to measure the transmissions (or backlit absorption) of the copper doped beryllium shells. Images of the x-ray emission from the core around bang time provide a measure of the symmetry near peak compression. Both pieces of information about the 2D symmetry are used to infer the drive and velocity uniformity enabling us to predictably adjust the properties of the incident laser, mainly the time dependent ratio of the inner beam cone power to the outer laser beam powers, to achieve proper symmetry of the implosion. Results from these experiments show inner beam propagation is not degraded compared to similar implosions with CH ablators. Variations in the shape compared with implosions using CH ablators also provides information about the cross beam energy transfer used to adjust the equatorial shape and thus infer information about the differences in plasma conditions near the laser entrance holes. Experimental results of the implosion shape for beryllium capsules will be presented along with comparisons relative to CH ablators.

First-principles studies on the equation of state, thermal conductivity, and opacity of deuterium-tritium (DT) and polystyrene (CH) for inertial confinement fusion applications

Using first-principles (FP) methods, we have performed ab initio compute for the equation of state (EOS), thermal conductivity, and opacity of deuterium-tritium (DT) in a wide range of densities and temperatures for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) applications. These systematic investigations have recently been expanded to accurately compute the plasma properties of CH ablators under extreme conditions. In particular, the first-principles EOS and thermal-conductivity tables of CH are self-consistently built from such FP calculations, which are benchmarked by experimental measurements. When compared with the traditional models used for these plasma properties in hydrocodes, significant differences have been identified in the warm dense plasma regime. When these FP-calculated properties of DT and CH were used in our hydrodynamic simulations of ICF implosions, we found that the target performance in terms of neutron yield and energy gain can vary by a factor of 2 to 3, relative to traditional model simulations.

First-principles investigations on ionization and thermal conductivity of polystyrene for inertial confinement fusion applications

Using quantum molecular-dynamics (QMD) methods based on the density functional theory, we have performed first-principles investigations of the ionization and thermal conductivity of polystyrene (CH) over a wide range of plasma conditions (ρ = 0.5 to 100 g/cm3 and T = 15 625 to 500 000 K). The ionization data from orbital-free molecular-dynamics calculations have been fitted with a “Saha-type” model as a function of the CH plasma density and temperature, which gives an increasing ionization as the CH density increases even at low temperatures (T < 50 eV). The orbital-free molecular dynamics method is only used to gauge the average ionization behavior of CH under the average-atom model in conjunction with the pressure-matching mixing rule. The thermal conductivities (κQMD) of CH, derived directly from the Kohn–Sham molecular-dynamics calculations, are then analytically fitted with a generalized Coulomb logarithm [(lnΛ)QMD] over a wide range of plasma conditions. When compared with the traditional ionization and thermal conductivity models used in radiation–hydrodynamics codes for inertial confinement fusion simulations, the QMD results show a large difference in the low-temperature regime in which strong coupling and electron degeneracy play an essential role in determining plasma properties. Hydrodynamic simulations of cryogenic deuterium–tritium targets with CH ablators on OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility using the QMD-derived ionization and thermal conductivity of CH have predicted ∼20% variation in target performance in terms of hot-spot pressure and neutron yield (gain) with respect to traditional model simulations.

Symmetry tuning of a near one-dimensional 2-shock platform for code validation at the National Ignition Facility

We introduce a new quasi 1-D implosion experimental platform at the National Ignition Facility designed to validate physics models as well as to study various Inertial Confinement Fusion aspects such as implosion symmetry, convergence, hydrodynamic instabilities, and shock timing. The platform has been developed to maintain shell sphericity throughout the compression phase and produce a round hot core at stagnation. This platform utilizes a 2-shock 1 MJ pulse with 340 TW peak power in a near-vacuum Au Hohlraum and a CH ablator capsule uniformly doped with 1% Si. We have performed several inflight radiography, symmetry capsule, and shock timing experiments in order to tune the symmetry of the capsule to near round throughout several epochs of the implosion. Adjusting the relative powers of the inner and outer cones of beams has allowed us to control the drive at the poles and equator of the capsule, thus providing the mechanism to achieve a spherical capsule convergence. Details and results of the tuning experiments are described.

The importance of the transmission flux in evaluating the preheat effect in x-ray driven ablation

In x-ray driven ablation, the preheat effect is caused by the high energy x-rays that pass through the ablator. Thus, the transmission flux can be used to characterize preheat effect in a certain degree. With the radiation temperature being 200 eV, the transmission flux and preheat temperature of pure polymer (CH) have been studied by using the one-dimensional multi-group radiation hydrodynamic code MULTI-1D. By studying the spectrum of the transmitted x-rays, it is found that the energy of the transmitted x-rays is in the range of 2–5 keV for pure CH ablator. This is of importance for selecting a dopant for CH ablator. We also calculated both the preheat temperature of CH near the surface of thick target (47.66 μm) and the transmission flux of a thinner target (38.66 μm). It is found that the more transmission flux leads to the higher preheat temperature. Preheat effect of graded Si-doped CH targets with different doped concentrations has also been studied. The results are consistent with this phenomenon. By analyzing the relationship between the transmission flux and the preheat temperature, we have presented a novel method to evaluate preheat effect in x-ray driven ablation.