Magnetized Shock-Driven Implosion Platform at Omega for studies of Magnetized Transport Physics in Inertial Fusion Implosions*

External magnetic fields applied to an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosion make the fuel ions gyrate around the B-field lines, which can improve the probability for fusion and potentially boost fusion energy gain. With recent advances facilitating the generation of very high B-fields, it is essential to experimentally investigate and characterize the effects of strong magnetization on the dynamics and symmetry of an ICF implosion. We have developed an experimental platform at the Omega laser facility for producing plasma conditions with the electrons and ions both strongly magnetized, suitable for the studies of magnetized transport properties in high-energy-density plasmas. The first observation [1] of how a strong, 500 kG, externally applied B-field increases the mode-2 asymmetry in these shock-heated ICF implosions will be discussed. Strongly magnetized electrons (ω_eτ_e ≫ 1) and ions (ω_iτ_i > 1) in the implosion restrict the cross-field heat transport necessary for lateral distribution of the laser and shock heating from the implosion pole to waist, causing an enhanced mode-2 asymmetry. This work was supported in part by the US DOE, the National Laser Users Facility and Laboratory for Laser Energetics.