Neutron Image Analysis for the National Ignition Facility

To obtain ignition in inertial confinement fusion experiments (ICF) at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), sited at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, will require a careful balance of drive conditions created by the 192 beam, 1.8 MJ laser. Drive symmetry and strength in ICF experiments will be reflected in the shape and density of the deuterium and tritium fuel, and therefore collection and analysis of neutron images produced by thermonuclear reactions, or resultant scatters, will provide this diagnostic information. A description of the NIF neutron imaging system (NIS) analysis methods will be presented, including an overview of the imaging system, a theoretical description of the image formation process, current system models, resultant analysis methods, examples from recent sensitivity and validation studies, as well as imaging data obtained to date.