The MARBLE Campaign - Overview*

MARBLE is a separated reactants campaign on the NIF that seeks to investigate the effects of heterogeneous mix on thermonuclear burn. MARBLE uses Si-doped plastic capsules filled with deuterated plastic foam and cryogenic hydrogen-tritium gas fills. Embedded in the foam are “macro-pores,” engineered voids in the foam of known sizes and locations, which allow for control of the level of heterogeneity prior to hydrodynamic mixing. In MARBLE implosions, the ratio of DT to DD neutron yield is measured, from which the degree to which material has mixed atomically can be deduced. The MARBLE team has successfully completed a one-shock platform development campaign on the NIF that demonstrated the ability to field and diagnose thermonuclear burn in engineered foam capsules. Initial results from the newly initiated MARBLE two-shock campaign will also be discussed.