C. Gautier

Spectral properties of laser-accelerated mid-Z MeV/u ion beams

Collimated jets of beryllium, carbon, oxygen, fluorine, and palladium ions with >1MeV∕nucleon energies are observed from the rear surface of thin foils irradiated with laser intensities of up to 5×1019W∕cm2. The normally dominant proton acceleration is suppressed when the target is subjected to Joule heating to remove hydrogen-bearing contaminant. This inhibits screening effects and permits effective energy transfer to and acceleration of heavier ion species. The influence of remnant protons on the spectral shape of the next highest charge-to-mass ratio species is shown. Particle-in-cell simulations confirming the experimental findings are presented.

Development of the SCRF power coupler for the APT accelerator

The team responsible for the design of the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) superconducting (SC) radio frequency (RF) power coupler has developed two 700-MHz, helium gas-cooled power couplers. One has a fixed inner conductor and the other has an adjustable inner conductor (gamma prototype and alpha prototype). The power couplers will be performance tested in the near future. This paper discusses the mechanical design and fabrication techniques employed in the development of each power coupler. This includes material selection, copper coating, assembly sequences, and metal joining procedures, as well as the engineering analyses performed to determine the dynamic response of the inner conductors due to environmental excitations. A bellows is used in both prototype inner conductors in the area near the ceramic RF window, to compensate for thermal expansion and mechanical tolerance build-up. In addition, a bellows is used near the tip of the inner conductor of the alpha prototype for tuning the power coupler after it is installed on the accelerator. Extensive analytical work has been performed to determine the static loads transmitted by the bellows due to thermally induced expansion on the inner conductor and on the RF window. This paper also discusses this analysis, as well as the mechanical analysis performed to determine the final geometric shape of the bellows. Finally, a discussion of the electromagnetic analysis used to optimize the performance of the power couplers is included.

Gas-filled hohlraum experiments at the National Ignition Facility

Experiments done at the National Ignition Facility laser [J. A. Paisner, E. M. Campbell, and W. Hogan, Fusion Technol. 26, 755 (1994)] using gas-filled hohlraums demonstrate a key ignition design feature, i.e., using plasma pressure from a gas fill to tamp the hohlraum-wall expansion for the duration of the laser pulse. Moreover, our understanding of hohlraum energetics and the ability to predict the hohlraum soft-x-ray drive has been validated in ignition-relevant conditions. Finally, the laser reflectivity from stimulated Raman scattering in the fill plasma, a key threat to hohlraum performance, is shown to be suppressed by choosing a design with a sufficiently high ratio of electron temperature to density.