Laser Implosion Research Articles

Impact of strong magnetization in cylindrical plasma implosions with applied B-field measured via x-ray emission spectroscopy

Magnetization is a key strategy for enhancing inertial fusion performance, though accurate characterization of magnetized dense plasmas is needed for a better comprehension of the underlying physics. Measured spectra from imploding Ar-doped D2-filled cylinders at the OMEGA laser show distinctive features with and without an imposed magnetic field. A multizone spectroscopic diagnosis leads to quantitative estimates of the plasma conditions, namely revealing a 50% core temperature rise at half mass density when a 30-T seed field is applied. Concurrently, experimental spectra align well with predictions from extended-magnetohydrodynamics simulations, providing strong evidence that the attained core conditions at peak compression are consistent with the impact of a 10-kT compressed field. These results pave the way for the validation of magnetized transport models in dense plasmas and for future magnetized laser implosion experiments at a larger scale. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The physics of gain relevant to inertial fusion energy target designs

In inertial confinement fusion, pellets of deuterium tritium fuel are compressed and heated to the conditions where they undergo fusion and release energy. The target gain (ratio of energy released from the fusion reactions to the energy in the drive source) is a key parameter in determining the power flow and economics of an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. In this study, the physics of gain is explored for laser-direct-drive targets with driver energy at the megajoule scale. This analysis is performed with the assumption of next-generation laser technologies that are expected to increase convergent drive pressures to over 200 Mbar. This is possible with the addition of bandwidth to the laser spectrum and by employing focal-spot zooming. Simple physics arguments are used to derive scaling laws that describe target gain as a function of laser energy, adiabat, ablation pressure, and implosion velocity. Scaling laws are found for the unablated mass, ablation pressure, areal density, implosion velocity, and in-flight aspect ratio. Those scaling laws are then used to explore the design space for IFE targets.

Enhanced collisionless laser absorption in strongly magnetized plasmas

Strongly magnetizing a plasma adds a range of waves that do not exist in unmagnetized plasmas and enlarges the laser-plasma interaction (LPI) landscape. In this paper, we use particle-in-cell simulations to investigate strongly magnetized LPI in one dimension under conditions relevant for magneto-inertial fusion experiments, focusing on a regime where the electron-cyclotron frequency is greater than the plasma frequency and the magnetic field is at an oblique angle with respect to the wave vectors. We show that when electron-cyclotron-like hybrid wave frequency is about half the laser frequency, the laser light resonantly decays to magnetized plasma waves via primary and secondary instabilities with large growth rates. These distinct magnetic-field-controlled instabilities, which we collectively call two-magnon decays, are analogous to two-plasmon decays in unmagnetized plasmas. Since additional phase mixing mechanisms are introduced by the oblique magnetic field, collisionless damping of large-amplitude magnetized waves substantially broadens the electron distribution function, especially along the direction of the magnetic field. During this process, energy is transferred efficiently from the laser to plasma waves and then to electrons, leading to a large overall absorptivity when strong resonances are present. The enhanced laser energy absorption may explain hotter-than-expected temperatures observed in magnetized laser implosion experiments and may also be exploited to develop more efficient laser-driven x-ray sources.

A simple analytical model of laser direct-drive thin shell target implosion

A high-neutron yield platform imploded by a thin shell target is generally built to probe nuclear science problems, and it has the advantages of high neutron yield, ultrashort fusion time, micro fusion zone, isotropic and monoenergetic neutron. Some analytical models have been proposed to interpret exploding-pusher target implosion driven by a long wavelength laser, whereas they are imperfect for a 0.35 μm laser implosion experiment. When using the 0.35 μm laser, the shell is ablated and accelerated to high implosion velocity governed by Newton’s law, ablation acceleration and quasi-adiabatic compression models are suitable to explain the implosion of a laser direct-drive thin shell target. The new analytical model scales bang time, ion temperature and neutron yield for large variations in laser power, target radius, shell thickness, and fuel pressure. The predicted results of the analytical model are in agreement with experimental data on the Shenguang-III prototype laser facility, 100 kJ laser facility, Omega, and NIF, it demonstrates that the analytical model benefits the understanding of experiment performance and optimizing the target design of high neutron yield implosion.

Editor's Note

Editor's Note

Principal factors in performance of indirect-drive laser fusion experiments

Progress in inertial confinement fusion depends on the accurate interpretation of experiments that are complex and difficult to explain with simulations. Results could depend on small changes in the laser pulse or target or physics that are not fully understood or characterized. In this paper, we discuss an x-ray-driven platform [Baker et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 135001 (2018)] with fewer sources of degradation and find the fusion yield can be described as a physically motivated function of laser energy, target scale, and implosion symmetry. This platform and analysis could enable a more experimental approach to the study and optimization of implosion physics.

Progress and opportunities for inertial fusion energy in Europe.

In this paper, I consider the motivations, recent results and perspectives for the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) studies in Europe. The European approach is based on the direct drive scheme with a preference for the central ignition boosted by a strong shock. Compared to other schemes, shock ignition offers a higher gain needed for the design of a future commercial reactor and relatively simple and technological targets, but implies a more complicated physics of laser–target interaction, energy transport and ignition. European scientists are studying physics issues of shock ignition schemes related to the target design, laser plasma interaction and implosion by the code developments and conducting experiments in collaboration with US and Japanese physicists, providing access to their installations Omega and Gekko XII. The ICF research in Europe can be further developed only if European scientists acquire their own academic laser research facility specifically dedicated to controlled fusion energy and going beyond ignition to the physical, technical, technological and operational problems related to the future fusion power plant. Recent results show significant progress in our understanding and simulation capabilities of the laser plasma interaction and implosion physics and in our understanding of material behaviour under strong mechanical, thermal and radiation loads. In addition, growing awareness of environmental issues has attracted more public attention to this problem and commissioning at ELI Beamlines the first high-energy laser facility with a high repetition rate opens the opportunity for qualitatively innovative experiments. These achievements are building elements for a new international project for inertial fusion energy in Europe.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

Characteristic and impact of kinetic effects at interfaces of inertial confinement fusion hohlraums

In the study of inertial confinement fusion physics, the characteristics, temporal and spatial evolution of kinetic effects at the plasma interfaces attract crucial interest recently because they can affect the laser energy deposition, laser plasma instabilities, radiation asymmetry and implosion performance. A successful design of inertial confinement fusion requires the accurate description of the temporal and spatial evolution of the kinetic effects at the plasma interfaces, which is also a very challenging and unresolved problem in high energy density physics. In this paper, we will review our recent researches on the kinetic effects and their influence on laser plasma instabilities and implosion performance: (1) Electrostatic field arisen in the hohlraum wall/ablator (or the low-density fill-gas) interpenetration region will result in efficient acceleration of high energy ions, which is a source of the low-mode asymmetry of the implosion capsule. (2) The mechanism for the electrostatic field generation and the anomalous mix in the interpenetration layer at the high-Z and low-Z plasma interface and its effects on the laser plasma instabilities. (3) Reconstruction of the spontaneous electric and magnetic fields through proton radiography.

Simultaneous visualization of wall motion, beam propagation, and implosion symmetry on the National Ignition Facility (invited)

Achieving a symmetric implosion in National Ignition Facility indirect drive targets requires understanding and control of dynamic changes to the laser power transport in the hohlraum. We developed a new experimental platform to simultaneously visualize wall-plasma motion and dynamic laser power transport in the hohlraum and are using it to investigate correlations of these measurements with the imploded capsule symmetry. In a series of experiments where we made one single parameter variation, we show the value of this new platform in developing an understanding of laser transport and implosion symmetry. This platform also provides a new way to evaluate dynamic performance of advanced hohlraum designs.

Extremely high-pressure generation and compression with laser implosion plasmas

We have tested a scheme for using laser implosion plasmas to generate pressures in the gigabar (100 TPa) regime. Cone-in-shell targets employed in fast ignition of inertial confinement fusion were irradiated to create a high-pressure source for compression of materials. The imploded plasmas pushed a foil embedded on the tip of a cone. The pressure was estimated from the shock velocity into the material; the shock velocity was obtained from an optical measurement. The measured shock velocity of the foil was above 100 km/s, corresponding to a pressure greater than 1 Gbar.

Hydrodynamic modeling and simulations of shock ignition thresholds

The Shock Ignition (SI) scheme (1) offers to reduce the laser requirements by relaxing the implosion phase to sub-ignition velocities and later adding an intense laser spike. Depending on laser energy, target characteristics and implosion velocity, high gains are expected (2, 3). Relevant intensities for scaled targets imploded in the velocity range from 150 to 400km/s are defined at ignition thresholds. A range of moderate implosion velocities is specified to match safe implosions. These conditions for target design are then inferred for relevant NIF and LMJ shock-ignited targets.

Measurement of the 3He Permeability of DT-Filled Fused Silica Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Targets to Study the Effects of 3He on Neutron Emission During Implosion

A set of laser implosion experiments were conducted at the OMEGA laser at the University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) to study the effect of 3He concentration in DT-filled target shells on fusion yield in ICF implosions.. Eleven laser fusion shells consisting of 1100-μm diameter, hollow, fused silica spheres with 4.6 to 4.7-μm-thick walls were loaded with 520 kPa of deuterium-tritium (DT) and then with 3He (101.3 or 520 kPa). The 3He permeabilities of the shells were determined by measuring the pressure rate of rise into a system with known volume. A mathematical method was developed that relied on the experimental fill pressure and time, and the rate of rise data to solve differential equations using MathCAD to simultaneously calculate 3He permeability and initial 3He partial pressure inside the shell. Because of the high permeation rate for 3He out of the shells compared to that for DT gas, shells had to be recharged with 3He immediately before being laser imploded or “shot” at LLE. The 3He partial pressure in each individual shell at shot time was calculated from the measured 3He permeability. Two different partial pressures of 3He inside the shell were shown to reduce neutron and gamma yields during implosion.

Design of the OMEGA Laser Target Chamber Tritium Removal System

Preparations are currently underway at the OMEGA laser at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR/LLE) to conduct direct drive laser implosion campaigns with inertial confinement fusion targets containing deuterium-tritium (DT) cryogenic ice layers. The OMEGA Cryogenic Target Handling System will fill plastic targets with high-pressure DT (150 MPa) at 300 to 500 K, cool them down to cryogenic temperature (<25 K), form the DT ice layer, and transport the targets to the OMEGA laser target chamber. Targets will then be shot with the 60-beam 30-kJ OMEGA laser. A tritium removal system has been designed to remove tritium from effluents associated with operation of the target chamber and its associated diagnostic antechambers, vacuum pumping systems, and target insertion systems. The design of the target chamber tritium removal system (TCTRS) is based on catalytic oxidation of DT and tritiated methane to tritiated water (DTO), followed by immobilization of DTO on molecular sieves. The design of the TCTRS presented a challenge due to the low tritium release limits dictated by the tritium license at UR/LLE. Aspen Plus, a commercial software package intended for the simulation and design of chemical processing systems operating at steady state, was used to simulate and design the TCTRS. A second commercial software package, Aspen ADSIM, was used to simulate and design the TCTRS molecular sieve beds, which operate at unsteady state. In this paper, we describe the design of the TCTRS and the benefits that were realized by use of the Aspen Plus and Aspen ADSIM software packages.

Time- and Space-Resolved Spectroscopic Imaging Diagnostics of Laser-Produced Plasmas X-Ray Monochromatic Framing Imager and Observation of Dynamical Temperature-Density Profiles of Laser Imploded Core Plasmas

A monochromatic x-ray frame imager with toroidally bent crystals has been developed for use in laser fusion experiments. It consists of two arrays of bent-crystals and a fast x-ray framing camera. Temporal resolution of 35 ps, spatial resolution of 10m, and spectral resolution of 10 eV have been simultaneously attained. This performance is sufficiently high to provide spatial profiles of monochromatic x-ray images of a laser implosion dynamical core. These data have allowed temporal evolutions of electron temperature and density profiles in the core to be obtained, for the first time, in combination with a novel experimental technology and analysis technique on x-ray spectroscopy.

Nonlocal Transport Phenomena and Various Structure Formations in Plasmas. Nonlocal Transport in Laser Implosion and Supernova Explosion.

Nonlocal transport becomes important in a variety of situations in physics. We briefly review under what conditions it appears to be important in modeling energy transport by neutral gas, neutrons, charged particles, photons, and neutrinos. In the cases of these last three, the cross-sections strongly depend upon particle energies. In such cases, nonlocal transport becomes important even when each mean free path is much shorter than the length of the change of its energy density. We mainly review the research that has been done on nonlocal electron energy transport in relation to laser-produced plasmas and the way in which precise calculation of neutrino transport changes the properties of a shock wave, which is used as a driver to explode a massive star such as a supernova, by solving Boltzmann-type equations for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos.

Computer simulations of laser hot spots and implosion symmetry kiniform phase plate experiments on Nova

LASNEX computer code simulations have been performed for radiation symmetry experiments on the Nova laser with vacuum and gas-filled hohlraum targets [R. L. Kauffman et al., Phys. Plasmas 5, 1927 (1998)]. In previous experiments with unsmoothed laser beams, the symmetry was substantially shifted by deflection of the laser beams. In these experiments, laser beams have been smoothed with Kiniform Phase Plates in an attempt to remove deflection of the beams. The experiments have shown that this smoothing significantly improves the agreement with LASNEX calculations of implosion symmetry. The images of laser produced hot spots on the inside of the hohlraum case have been found to differ from LASNEX calculations, suggesting that some beam deflection or self-focusing may still be present or that emission from interpenetrating plasmas is an important component of the images. The measured neutron yields are in good agreement with simulations for vacuum hohlraums but are far different for gas-filled hohlraums.

Rippled shock propagation and hydrodynamic perturbation growth in laser implosion

Abstract A simple analytical model is presented to study hydrodynamic perturbation growth in the start-up phase in laser fusion, namely propagation of a rippled shock driven by nonuniform laser ablation induced by initial target roughness or nonuniform laser irradiation. These perturbation growths are very important, because they seed the Rayleigh–Taylor instability in the subsequent acceleration and stagnation phases. We investigate temporal evolutions of the shock front and the ablation surface. As a result, we have found that the shock front ripples oscillate and decay in both the case of uniform laser irradiation on a target with a rippled surface and that of nonuniform laser irradiation on a smooth target. It was also found that there is an asymptotic value of the ablation surface deformation in the former case and an asymptotic growth rate of the ablation surface ripple in the latter case. Approximate formulae expressing both temporal evolutions of the shock front and the ablation surface are obtained in the weak shock limit. These formulae are also applicable in a relatively strong shock. We also investigate the case of oscillating nonuniform laser irradiation with time. The oscillation frequency dependences of the shock front ripple and the growth rate of the ablation surface ripple are discussed.

Model of hydrodynamic perturbation growth in the start-up phase of laser implosion

A simple analytical model is presented to study hydrodynamic perturbation growths driven by nonuniform laser ablation in the start-up phase in laser fusion. Propagation of a rippled shock and deformation of an ablation surface are studied for cases of initial target roughness and nonuniform laser irradiation. The study of the perturbation growth in the start-up phase is very important because it seeds the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the subsequent acceleration and stagnation phases. Analytical solutions are obtained for temporal evolutions of the shock front ripple and the ablation surface deformation. As a result, it is seen that the shock front ripples oscillate and decay in both cases. On the other hand, there is an asymptotic amplitude of the ablation surface deformation in the case of uniform laser irradiation on a target with a rippled surface, and an asymptotic growth rate of the ablation surface ripple in the case of nonuniform laser irradiation on a smooth target. In both cases, it can be shown that a high intensity of laser irradiation causes the ablation surface to distort, and a short wavelength laser inhibits its deformation. Approximate formulas expressing the temporal behaviors of the shock front and the ablation surface are obtained in the weak shock limit. Those formulas are also applicable to a relatively strong shock. Analytical results agree quite well with recent experimental data for the shock front ripple and the areal mass density perturbation in the initial target roughness case. The behaviors of the shock front ripple and the ablation surface deformation are also investigated in the case where the nonuniformity of the laser irradiation oscillates with time. It can be seen that the deformation of the ablation surface is inhibited for a high oscillation frequency of the laser nonuniformity.

Hydrodynamic perturbation growth in start-up phase in laser implosion

Nonuniform laser ablation caused by nonuniform laser irradiation and initial target roughness induces ripples of shock and ablation surfaces in laser implosion. Hydrodynamic perturbation growth before the shock breakout is investigated by using an analytical model and two-dimensional simulations. The model agrees well with simulation and experimental results. Areal mass density perturbations and growth rate of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability are estimated for an ignition target. The thermal smoothing in the ablation layer is also studied for perturbations with a wavelength longer than the layer thickness. A large increase of temperature and density perturbations is shown instead of the smoothing for such a wavelength.

Rippled Shock Propagation and Hydrodynamic Perturbation Growth in Laser Implosion.

Abstract A simple analytical model is presented to study hydrodynamic perturbation growth in the start-up phase in laser fusion, namely propagation of a rippled shock driven by nonuniform laser ablation induced by initial target roughness or nonuniform laser irradiation. These perturbation growths are very important, because they seed the Rayleigh–Taylor instability in the subsequent acceleration and stagnation phases. We investigate temporal evolutions of the shock front and the ablation surface. As a result, we have found that the shock front ripples oscillate and decay in both the case of uniform laser irradiation on a target with a rippled surface and that of nonuniform laser irradiation on a smooth target. It was also found that there is an asymptotic value of the ablation surface deformation in the former case and an asymptotic growth rate of the ablation surface ripple in the latter case. Approximate formulae expressing both temporal evolutions of the shock front and the ablation surface are obtained in the weak shock limit. These formulae are also applicable in a relatively strong shock. We also investigate the case of oscillating nonuniform laser irradiation with time. The oscillation frequency dependences of the shock front ripple and the growth rate of the ablation surface ripple are discussed.