Inertial Confinement Fusion Capsule Research Articles

Signatures of asymmetry in neutron spectra and images predicted by three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations of indirect drive implosions

We present the results of 3D simulations of indirect drive inertial confinement fusion capsules driven by the “high-foot” radiation pulse on the National Ignition Facility. The results are post-processed using a semi-deterministic ray tracing model to generate synthetic deuterium-tritium (DT) and deuterium-deuterium (DD) neutron spectra as well as primary and down scattered neutron images. Results with low-mode asymmetries are used to estimate the magnitude of anisotropy in the neutron spectra shift, width, and shape. Comparisons of primary and down scattered images highlight the lack of alignment between the neutron sources, scatter sites, and detector plane, which limits the ability to infer the ρr of the fuel from a down scattered ratio. Further calculations use high bandwidth multi-mode perturbations to induce multiple short scale length flows in the hotspot. The results indicate that the effect of fluid velocity is to produce a DT neutron spectrum with an apparently higher temperature than that inferred from the DD spectrum and which is also higher than the temperature implied by the DT to DD yield ratio.

Reaction-in-Flight neutrons as a test of stopping power in degenerate plasmas

Cryogenically cooled inertial confinement fusion capsule designs are suitable for studies of reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutrons. RIF neutrons occur when energetically up-scattered ions undergo DT reactions with a thermal ion in the plasma, producing neutrons in the energy range 9-30 MeV. The knock-on ions lose energy as they traverse the plasma, which directly affects the spectrum of the produced RIF neutrons. Here we present measurements from the National Ignition Facility (NIF) of RIF neutrons produced in cryogenic capsules, with energies above 15 MeV. We show that the measured RIFs probe stopping under previously unexplored degenerate plasma conditions and constrain stopping models in warm dense plasma conditions.

Spallation as a dominant source of pusher-fuel and hot-spot mix in inertial confinement fusion capsules

We suggest that a potentially dominant but previously neglected source of pusher-fuel and hot-spot “mix” may have been the main degradation mechanism for fusion energy yields of modern inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules designed and fielded to achieve high yields—not hydrodynamic instabilities. This potentially dominant mix source is the spallation of small chunks or “grains” of pusher material into the fuel regions whenever (1) the solid material adjacent to the fuel changes its phase by nucleation and (2) this solid material spalls under shock loading and sudden decompression. We describe this mix mechanism, support it with simulations and experimental evidence, and explain how to eliminate it and thereby allow higher yields for ICF capsules and possibly ignition at the National Ignition Facility.

Experimental and ab initio investigations of microscopic properties of laser-shocked Ge-doped ablator.

Plastic materials (CH) doped with mid-Z elements are used as ablators in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules and in their surrogates. Hugoniot equation of state (EOS) and electronic properties of CH doped with germanium (at 2.5% and 13% dopant fractions) are investigated experimentally up to 7 Mbar using velocity and reflectivity measurements of shock fronts on the GEKKO laser at Osaka University. Reflectivity and temperature measurements were updated using a quartz standard. Shocked quartz reflectivity was measured at 532 and 1064nm. Theoretical investigation of shock pressure and reflectivity was then carried out by ab initio simulations using the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) code abinit and compared with tabulated average atom EOS models. We find that shock states calculated by QMD are in better agreement with experimental data than EOS models because of a more accurate description of ionic structure. We finally discuss electronic properties by comparing reflectivity data to a semiconductor gap closure model and to QMD simulations.

Impact of oxygen on the 300-K isotherm of Laser Megajoule ablator using ab initio simulation.

The ablator material for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules on the Laser Mégajoule is a glow-discharge polymer (GDP) plastic. Its equation of state (EOS) is of primary importance for the design of such capsules, since it has direct consequences on shock timing and is essential to mitigate hydrodynamic instabilities. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), we have investigated the 300-K isotherm of amorphous CH(1.37)O(0.08) plastic, whose structure is close to GDP plastic. The 300-K isotherm, which is often used as a cold curve within tabular EOS, is an important contribution of the EOS in the multimegabar pressure range. AIMD results are compared to analytic models within tabular EOS, pointing out large discrepancies. In addition, we show that the effect of oxygen decreases 300-K isotherm pressure by 10%-15%. The implication of these observations is the ability to improve ICF target performance, which is essential to achieve fusion ignition.

First-principles equation of state of polystyrene and its effect on inertial confinement fusion implosions

Obtaining an accurate equation of state (EOS) of polystyrene (CH) is crucial to reliably design inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules using CH/CH-based ablators. With first-principles calculations, we have investigated the extended EOS of CH over a wide range of plasma conditions (ρ=0.1to100g/cm(3) and T=1000 to 4,000,000 K). When compared with the widely used SESAME-EOS table, the first-principles equation of state (FPEOS) of CH has shown significant differences in the low-temperature regime, in which strong coupling and electron degeneracy play an essential role in determining plasma properties. Hydrodynamic simulations of cryogenic target implosions on OMEGA using the FPEOS table of CH have predicted ∼30% decrease in neutron yield in comparison with the usual SESAME simulations. This is attributed to the ∼5% reduction in implosion velocity that is caused by the ∼10% lower mass ablation rate of CH predicted by FPEOS. Simulations using CH-FPEOS show better agreement with measurements of Hugoniot temperature and scattered light from ICF implosions.

Uniformity of spherical shock wave dynamically stabilized by two successive laser profiles in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions

The implosion uniformity of a directly driven spherical inertial confinement fusion capsule is considered within the context of the Laser Mégajoule configuration. Two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic simulations have been performed assuming irradiation with two laser beam cones located at 49° and 131° with respect to the axis of symmetry. The laser energy deposition causes an inward shock wave whose surface is tracked in time, providing the time evolution of its non-uniformity. The illumination model has been used to optimize the laser intensity profiles used as input in the 2D hydro-calculations. It is found that a single stationary laser profile does not maintain a uniform shock front over time. To overcome this drawback, it is proposed to use two laser profiles acting successively in time, in order to dynamically stabilize the non-uniformity of the shock front.

Exponential yield sensitivity to long-wavelength asymmetries in three-dimensional simulations of inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions

In this paper, we perform a series of high-resolution 3D simulations of an OMEGA-type inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosion with varying levels of initial long-wavelength asymmetries in order to establish the physical energy loss mechanism for observed yield degradation due to long-wavelength asymmetries in symcap (gas-filled capsule) implosions. These simulations demonstrate that, as the magnitude of the initial asymmetries is increased, shell kinetic energy is increasingly retained in the shell instead of being converted to fuel internal energy. This is caused by the displacement of fuel mass away from and shell material into the center of the implosion due to complex vortical flows seeded by the long-wavelength asymmetries. These flows are not fully turbulent, but demonstrate mode coupling through non-linear instability development during shell stagnation and late-time shock interactions with the shell interface. We quantify this effect by defining a separation lengthscale between the fuel mass and internal energy and show that this is correlated with yield degradation. The yield degradation shows an exponential sensitivity to the RMS magnitude of the long-wavelength asymmetries. This strong dependence may explain the lack of repeatability frequently observed in OMEGA ICF experiments. In contrast to previously reported mechanisms for yield degradation due to turbulent instability growth, yield degradation is not correlated with mixing between shell and fuel material. Indeed, an integrated measure of mixing decreases with increasing initial asymmetry magnitude due to delayed shock interactions caused by growth of the long-wavelength asymmetries without a corresponding delay in disassembly.

Ion-ion dynamic structure factor of warm dense mixtures.

The ion-ion dynamic structure factor of warm dense matter is determined using the recently developed pseudoatom molecular dynamics method [Starrett et al., Phys. Rev. E 91, 013104 (2015)]. The method uses density functional theory to determine ion-ion pair interaction potentials that have no free parameters. These potentials are used in classical molecular dynamics simulations. This constitutes a computationally efficient and realistic model of dense plasmas. Comparison with recently published simulations of the ion-ion dynamic structure factor and sound speed of warm dense aluminum finds good to reasonable agreement. Using this method, we make predictions of the ion-ion dynamical structure factor and sound speed of a warm dense mixture-equimolar carbon-hydrogen. This material is commonly used as an ablator in inertial confinement fusion capsules, and our results are amenable to direct experimental measurement.

Buoyancy instability of homologous implosions

I consider the hydrodynamic stability of imploding ideal gases as an idealized model for inertial confinement fusion capsules, sonoluminescent bubbles and the gravitational collapse of astrophysical gases. For oblate modes (short-wavelength incompressive modes elongated in the direction of the mean flow), a second-order ordinary differential equation is derived that can be used to assess the stability of any time-dependent flow with planar, cylindrical or spherical symmetry. Upon further restricting the analysis to homologous flows, it is shown that a monatomic gas is governed by the Schwarzschild criterion for buoyant stability. Under buoyantly unstable conditions, both entropy and vorticity fluctuations experience power-law growth in time, with a growth rate that depends upon mean flow gradients and, in the absence of dissipative effects, is independent of mode number. If the flow accelerates throughout the implosion, oblate modes amplify by a factor$(2C)^{|N_{0}|t_{i}}$, where$C$is the convergence ratio of the implosion,$N_{0}$is the initial buoyancy frequency and$t_{i}$is the implosion time scale. If, instead, the implosion consists of a coasting phase followed by stagnation, oblate modes amplify by a factor$\exp ({\rm\pi}|N_{0}|t_{s})$, where$N_{0}$is the buoyancy frequency at stagnation and$t_{s}$is the stagnation time scale. Even under stable conditions, vorticity fluctuations grow due to the conservation of angular momentum as the gas is compressed. For non-monatomic gases, this additional growth due to compression results in weak oscillatory growth under conditions that would otherwise be buoyantly stable; this over-stability is consistent with the conservation of wave action in the fluid frame. The above analytical results are verified by evolving the complete set of linear equations as an initial value problem, and it is demonstrated that oblate modes are the fastest-growing modes and that high mode numbers are required to reach this limit (Legendre mode$\ell \gtrsim 100$for spherical flows). Finally, comparisons are made with a Lagrangian hydrodynamics code, and it is found that a numerical resolution of${\sim}30$zones per wavelength is required to capture these solutions accurately. This translates to an angular resolution of${\sim}(12/\ell )^{\circ }$, or${\lesssim}0.1^{\circ }$to resolve the fastest-growing modes.

Validating hydrodynamic growth in National Ignition Facility implosions

We present new hydrodynamic growth experiments at the National Ignition Facility, which extend previous measurements up to Legendre mode 160 and convergence ratio 4, continuing the growth factor dispersion curve comparison of the low foot and high foot pulses reported by Casey et al. [Phys. Rev. E 90, 011102(R) (2014)]. We show that the high foot pulse has lower growth factor and lower growth rate than the low foot pulse. Using novel on-capsule fiducial markers, we observe that mode 160 inverts sign (changes phase) for the high foot pulse, evidence of amplitude oscillations during the Richtmyer-Meshkov phase of a spherically convergent system. Post-shot simulations are consistent with the experimental measurements for all but the shortest wavelength perturbations, reinforcing the validity of radiation hydrodynamic simulations of ablation front growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules.

Approximate models for the ion-kinetic regime in inertial-confinement-fusion capsule implosions

“Reduced” (i.e., simplified or approximate) ion-kinetic (RIK) models in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations permit a useful description of inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) implosions where kinetic deviations from hydrodynamic behavior are important. For implosions in or near the kinetic regime (i.e., when ion mean free paths are comparable to the capsule size), simulations using a RIK model give a detailed picture of the time- and space-dependent structure of imploding capsules, allow an assessment of the relative importance of various kinetic processes during the implosion, enable explanations of past and current observations, and permit predictions of the results of future experiments. The RIK simulation method described here uses moment-based reduced kinetic models for transport of mass, momentum, and energy by long-mean-free-path ions, a model for the decrease of fusion reactivity owing to the associated modification of the ion distribution function, and a model of hydrodynamic turbulent mixing. The transport models are based on local gradient-diffusion approximations for the transport of moments of the ion distribution functions, with coefficients to impose flux limiting or account for transport modification. After calibration against a reference set of ICF implosions spanning the hydrodynamic-to-kinetic transition, the method has useful, quantifiable predictive ability over a broad range of capsule parameter space. Calibrated RIK simulations show that an important contributor to ion species separation in ICF capsule implosions is the preferential flux of longer-mean-free-path species out of the fuel and into the shell, leaving the fuel relatively enriched in species with shorter mean free paths. Also, the transport of ion thermal energy is enhanced in the kinetic regime, causing the fuel region to have a more uniform, lower ion temperature, extending over a larger volume, than implied by clean simulations. We expect that the success of our simple approach will motivate continued theoretical research into the development of first-principles-based, comprehensive, self-consistent, yet useable models of kinetic multispecies ion behavior in ICF plasmas.

Thin shell, high velocity inertial confinement fusion implosions on the national ignition facility.

Experiments have recently been conducted at the National Ignition Facility utilizing inertial confinement fusion capsule ablators that are 175 and 165 μm in thickness, 10% and 15% thinner, respectively, than the nominal thickness capsule used throughout the high foot and most of the National Ignition Campaign. These three-shock, high-adiabat, high-foot implosions have demonstrated good performance, with higher velocity and better symmetry control at lower laser powers and energies than their nominal thickness ablator counterparts. Little to no hydrodynamic mix into the DT hot spot has been observed despite the higher velocities and reduced depth for possible instability feedthrough. Early results have shown good repeatability, with up to 1/2 the neutron yield coming from α-particle self-heating.

Gamma Reaction History ablator areal density constraints upon correlated diagnostic modeling of National Ignition Facility implosion experiments

The inelastic neutron scattering induced γ-ray signal from 12C in an Inertial Confinement Fusion capsule is demonstrated to be an effective and general diagnostic for shell ablator areal density. Experimental acquisition of the time-integrated signal at 4.4 MeV using threshold detection from four gas Čerenkov cells provides a direct measurement of the 12C areal density near stagnation. Application of a three-dimensional isobaric static model of data acquired in a recent high neutron yield National Ignition Facility experimental campaign reveals two general trends: smaller remaining ablator mass at stagnation and higher shell density with increasing laser drive.

激光惯性约束聚变靶靶丸制备与表征

激光惯性约束聚变靶靶丸制备与表征

The effects of early time laser drive on hydrodynamic instability growth in National Ignition Facility implosions

Defects on inertial confinement fusion capsule surfaces can seed hydrodynamic instability growth and adversely affect capsule performance. The dynamics of shocks launched during the early period of x-ray driven National Ignition Facility (NIF) implosions determine whether perturbations will grow inward or outward at peak implosion velocity and final compression. In particular, the strength of the first shock, launched at the beginning of the laser pulse, plays an important role in determining Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) oscillations on the ablation front. These surface oscillations can couple to the capsule interior through subsequent shocks before experiencing Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) growth. We compare radiation hydrodynamic simulations of NIF implosions to analytic theories of the ablative RM and RT instabilities to illustrate how early time laser strength can alter peak velocity growth. We develop a model that couples the RM and RT implosion phases and captures key features of full simulations. We also show how three key parameters can control the modal demarcation between outward and inward growth.

AXIS: an instrument for imaging Compton radiographs using the Advanced Radiography Capability on the NIF.

Compton radiography is an important diagnostic for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), as it provides a means to measure the density and asymmetries of the DT fuel in an ICF capsule near the time of peak compression. The AXIS instrument (ARC (Advanced Radiography Capability) X-ray Imaging System) is a gated detector in development for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and will initially be capable of recording two Compton radiographs during a single NIF shot. The principal reason for the development of AXIS is the requirement for significantly improved detection quantum efficiency (DQE) at high x-ray energies. AXIS will be the detector for Compton radiography driven by the ARC laser, which will be used to produce Bremsstrahlung X-ray backlighter sources over the range of 50 keV-200 keV for this purpose. It is expected that AXIS will be capable of recording these high-energy x-rays with a DQE several times greater than other X-ray cameras at NIF, as well as providing a much larger field of view of the imploded capsule. AXIS will therefore provide an image with larger signal-to-noise that will allow the density and distribution of the compressed DT fuel to be measured with significantly greater accuracy as ICF experiments are tuned for ignition.

An in-flight radiography platform to measure hydrodynamic instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules at the National Ignition Facility

A new in-flight radiography platform has been established at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules. The platform has been tested up to a convergence ratio of 4. An experimental campaign is underway to measure the growth of pre-imposed sinusoidal modulations of the capsule surface, as a function of wavelength, for a pair of ignition-relevant laser drives: a “low-foot” drive representative of what was fielded during the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) [Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] and the new high-foot [Dittrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055002 (2014); Park et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055001 (2014)] pulse shape, for which the predicted instability growth is much lower. We present measurements of Legendre modes 30, 60, and 90 for the NIC-type, low-foot, drive, and modes 60 and 90 for the high-foot drive. The measured growth is consistent with model predictions, including much less growth for the high-foot drive, demonstrating the instability mitigation aspect of this new pulse shape. We present the design of the platform in detail and discuss the implications of the data it generates for the on-going ignition effort at NIF.

Effects of large-angle Coulomb collisions on inertial confinement fusion plasmas.

Large-angle Coulomb collisions affect the rates of energy and momentum exchange in a plasma, and it is expected that their effects will be important in many plasmas of current research interest, including in inertial confinement fusion. Their inclusion is a long-standing problem, and the first fully self-consistent method for calculating their effects is presented. This method is applied to "burn" in the hot fuel in inertial confinement fusion capsules and finds that the yield increases due to an increase in the rate of temperature equilibration between electrons and ions which is not predicted by small-angle collision theories. The equilibration rate increases are 50%-100% for number densities of 10(30) m(-3) and temperatures around 1 keV.

Radiochemical determination of Inertial Confinement Fusion capsule compression at the National Ignition Facility.

We describe a radiochemical measurement of the ratio of isotope concentrations produced in a gold hohlraum surrounding an Inertial Confinement Fusion capsule at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). We relate the ratio of the concentrations of (n,γ) and (n,2n) products in the gold hohlraum matrix to the down-scatter of neutrons in the compressed fuel and, consequently, to the fuel's areal density. The observed ratio of the concentrations of (198m+g)Au and (196g)Au is a performance signature of ablator areal density and the fuel assembly confinement time. We identify the measurement of nuclear cross sections of astrophysical importance as a potential application of the neutrons generated at the NIF.