2005 47th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics
Monday–Friday, October 24–28, 2005;
Denver, Colorado
Session UI1: ICF Ignition
9:30 AM–12:30 PM,
Friday, October 28, 2005
Adam's Mark Hotel
Room: Plaza Ballroom ABC
Chair: Denise Hinkel, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Abstract ID: BAPS.2005.DPP.UI1.4
Abstract: UI1.00004 : Progress in Polar-Direct-Drive Simulations and Experiments
11:00 AM–11:30 AM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
J.A. Marozas
(Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester)
Polar direct drive (PDD)\footnote{ S. Skupsky \textit{et al}., Phys. Plasmas \textbf{11},
2763 (2004).} will allow ignition experiments on the National Ignition
Facility (NIF) while it is configured for x-ray drive. Optimal drive
uniformity is obtained via a combination of beam repointing, pulse shapes,
spot shapes, and/or target design. This talk describes progress in
developing PDD designs including the ``Saturn'' target\footnote{ R. S.
Craxton and D. W. Jacobs-Perkins, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{94}, 095002
(2005).} concept that improves drive uniformity by adding a low-$Z$ ring around
the target to refract light toward the target equator. These concepts are
being evaluated on the OMEGA Laser System and with two-dimensional
hydrodynamic simulations.\footnote{ R. S. Craxton \textit{et al}., Phys. Plasmas
\textbf{12}, 056304 (2005).} Forty OMEGA beams, arranged in six rings to
emulate the NIF x-ray drive configuration, implode 20-\textit{$\mu $}m-thick, 865-\textit{$\mu $}m-diam CH
shells, filled with 15 atm of D$_{2}$. Diagnostics include framed x-ray
backlighting and time-integrated x-ray imaging. Saturn target experiments
have resulted in $\sim $75{\%} of the yield from energy-equivalent
symmetrically irradiated implosions. Two-dimensional PDD simulations are
performed using both the \textit{SAGE} (Eulerian) and \textit{DRACO} (ALE) codes. The simulations are
in good agreement with the experiments. PDD simulations for the NIF show
modest gains and high areal densities. This work was supported by the U.S.
Department of Energy Office of Inertial Confinement Fusion under Cooperative
Agreement No. DE-FC52-92SF19460. Contributors: F. J. Marshall, R. S.
Craxton, I. V. Igumenshchev, P. B. Radha, S. Skupsky, P. W. McKenty, T. J.
B. Collins, R. Epstein, M. J. Bonino, D. Jacobs-Perkins, D. D. Meyerhofer,
T. C. Sangster, J. P. Knauer, V. A. Smalyuk, V. Yu. Glebov, S. G. Noyes, W.
Seka, and R. L. McCrory.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2005.DPP.UI1.4