T. Doeppner

Neutron spectrometry--an essential tool for diagnosing implosions at the National Ignition Facility (invited).

DT neutron yield (Y(n)), ion temperature (T(i)), and down-scatter ratio (dsr) determined from measured neutron spectra are essential metrics for diagnosing the performance of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). A suite of neutron-time-of-flight (nTOF) spectrometers and a magnetic recoil spectrometer (MRS) have been implemented in different locations around the NIF target chamber, providing good implosion coverage and the complementarity required for reliable measurements of Y(n), T(i), and dsr. From the measured dsr value, an areal density (ρR) is determined through the relationship ρR(tot) (g∕cm(2)) = (20.4 ± 0.6) × dsr(10-12 MeV). The proportionality constant is determined considering implosion geometry, neutron attenuation, and energy range used for the dsr measurement. To ensure high accuracy in the measurements, a series of commissioning experiments using exploding pushers have been used for in situ calibration of the as-built spectrometers, which are now performing to the required accuracy. Recent data obtained with the MRS and nTOFs indicate that the implosion performance of cryogenically layered DT implosions, characterized by the experimental ignition threshold factor (ITFx), which is a function of dsr (or fuel ρR) and Y(n), has improved almost two orders of magnitude since the first shot in September, 2010.

Hot-spot mix in ignition-scale implosions on the NIF

Ignition of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target depends on the formation of a central hot spot with sufficient temperature and areal density. Radiative and conductive losses from the hot spot can be enhanced by hydrodynamic instabilities. The concentric spherical layers of current National Ignition Facility (NIF) ignition targets consist of a plastic ablator surrounding a thin shell of cryogenic thermonuclear fuel (i.e., hydrogen isotopes), with fuel vapor filling the interior volume [S. W. Haan et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 051001 (2011)]. The Rev. 5 ablator is doped with Ge to minimize preheat of the ablator closest to the DT ice caused by Au M-band emission from the hohlraum x-ray drive [D. S. Clark et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 052703 (2010)]. Richtmyer–Meshkov and Rayleigh–Taylor hydrodynamic instabilities seeded by high-mode (50<l<200) ablator-surface perturbations can cause Ge-doped ablator to mix into the interior of the shell at the end of the acceleration phase [B. A. Hammel et al., Phys. Plasma...

Tent-induced perturbations on areal density of implosions at the National Ignition Facilitya)

Areal density non-uniformities seeded by time-dependent drive variations and target imperfections in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) targets can grow in time as the capsule implodes, with growth rates that are amplified by instabilities. Here, we report on the first measurements of the perturbations on the density and areal density profiles induced by the membranes used to hold the capsule within the hohlraum in indirect drive ICF targets. The measurements are based on the reconstruction of the ablator density profiles from 2D radiographs obtained using pinhole imaging coupled to area backlighting, as close as 150 ps to peak compression. Our study shows a clear correlation between the modulations imposed on the areal density and measured neutron yield, and a 3× reduction in the areal density perturbations comparing a high-adiabat vs. low-adiabat pulse shape.

Hohlraum energetics scaling to 520 TW on the National Ignition Facility

Indirect drive experiments have now been carried out with laser powers and energies up to 520 TW and 1.9 MJ. These experiments show that the energy coupling to the target is nearly constant at 84% ± 3% over a wide range of laser parameters from 350 to 520 TW and 1.2 to 1.9 MJ. Experiments at 520 TW with depleted uranium hohlraums achieve radiation temperatures of ∼330 ± 4 eV, enough to drive capsules 20 μm thicker than the ignition point design to velocities near the ignition goal of 370 km/s. A series of three symcap implosion experiments with nearly identical target, laser, and diagnostics configurations show the symmetry and drive are reproducible at the level of ±8.5% absolute and ±2% relative, respectively.

Progress in the indirect-drive National Ignition Campaign

We have carried out precision optimization of inertial confinement fusion ignition scale implosions. We have achieved hohlraum temperatures in excess of the 300 eV ignition goal with hot-spot symmetry and shock timing near ignition specs. Using slower rise pulses to peak power and extended pulses resulted in lower hot-spot adiabat and higher main fuel areal density at about 80% of the ignition goal. Yields are within a factor of 5–6 of that required to initiate alpha dominated burn. It is likely we will require thicker shells (+15–20%) to reach ignition velocity without mixing of ablator material into the hot spot.

Progress toward ignition at the National Ignition Facility

Progress toward ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) has been focused on furthering the understanding of implosion performance. Implosion performance depends on the capsule fuel shape, on higher mode asymmetries that may cause hydrodynamic instabilities to quench ignition, on time-dependent asymmetries introduced by the hohlraum target, and on ablator performance. Significant findings in each of these four areas is reported. These investigations have led to improved in-flight capsule shape, a demonstration that a capsule robust to mix can generate high levels of neutrons (7.7 × 10 14 ), hohlraum modifications that should ultimately provide improved beam propagation and better laser coupling, and fielding of capsules with high-density carbon (HDC) ablators. A capsule just fielded with a HDC ablator and filled with DT gas generated a preliminary record level of neutrons at 1.6 × 10 15 , or 5kJ of energy. Future plans include further improvements to fuel shape and hohlraum performance, fielding robust capsules at higher laser power and energy, and tuning the HDC capsule. A capsule with a nanocrystalline diamond (HDC) ablator on a DT ice layer will be fielded at NIF later this year.

Shock Hugoniot measurements of CH at Gbar pressures at the NIF

Laboratory measurements of the shock Hugoniot at high pressure, exceeding several hundred Mbar, are of great importance in the understanding and accurate modeling of matter at extreme conditions. In this work we present a platform to measure the material properties, specifically the single shock Hugoniot and electron temperature, at extreme pressures of ~Gbar at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). In these experiments we launch spherically convergent shocks into solid CH, using a Hohlraum radiation drive. X-ray radiography is applied to measure the shock speed and infer the mass density profile, enabling determining of the material pressure and Hugoniot equation of state. X-ray scattering is applied to measure the electron temperature through measurement of the electron velocity distribution.

X-ray penumbral imaging diagnostic developments at the National Ignition Facility

X-ray penumbral imaging has been successfully fielded on a variety of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosion experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). We have demonstrated sub-5 μm resolution imaging of stagnated plasma cores (hot spots) at x-ray energies from 6 to 30 keV. These measurements are crucial for improving our understanding of the hot deuterium-tritium fuel assembly, which can be affected by various mechanisms, including complex 3-D perturbations caused by the support tent, fill tube or capsule surface roughness. Here we present the progress on several approaches to improve x-ray penumbral imaging experiments on the NIF. We will discuss experimental setups that include penumbral imaging from multiple lines-of-sight, target mounted penumbral apertures and variably filtered penumbral images. Such setups will improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the spatial imaging resolution, with the goal of enabling spatially resolved measurements of the hot spot electron temperature and material mix in ICF implosions.

Silicon single crystal as back-reflector for high-intensity hard x-rays

At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) we have engineered a silicon prototype sample that can be used to reflect focused hard x-ray photons at high intensities in back-scattering geometry.1 Our work is motivated by the need for an all-x-ray pump-and-probe capability at X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) such as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCSL) at SLAC. In the first phase of our project, we exposed silicon single crystal to the LCLS beam, and quantitatively studied the x-ray induced damage as a function of x-ray fluence. The damage we observed is extensive at fluences typical of pump-and-probe experiments. The conclusions drawn from our data allowed us to design and manufacture a silicon mirror that can limit the local damage, and reflect the incident beam before its single crystal structure is destroyed. In the second phase of this project we tested this prototype back-reflector at the LCLS. Preliminary results suggest that the new mirror geometry yields reproducible Bragg reflectivity at high x-ray fluences, promising a path forward for silicon single crystals as x-ray back-reflectors.

X-ray Thomson scattering measurements from shock-compressed deuterium

X-ray Thomson scattering has recently been shown to be an effective method of diagnosing a variety of high energy density plasma conditions. We apply this powerful technique to the widely studied problem of shock-compressed liquid deuterium. The behavior of deuterium under extreme conditions has received considerable attention due to its central role in models of giant planets and the importance of the high-pressure insulator-metal transition. We have used spectrally resolved x-ray scattering from electron-plasma waves to perform microscopic observations of ionization during compression. In these experiments, a single shock was launched in cryogenic deuterium reaching compressions of 3x. The 2 keV Ly-α line in silicon was used as an x-ray source in a forward scattering geometry. In addition to elastic scattering from tightly bound electrons, this low probe energy accessed the collective plasmon oscillations of delocalized electrons. Inelastic scattering from the plasmons allowed accurate measurements of t...