Utilizing X-ray Shape Analysis Tools to Tune Integrated Hohlraum and Double Shell Capsule Simulations for Pre-Shot Predictions*

The Double Shell Campaign is an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) concept with the goal of achieving volumetric burn instead of hot-spot ignition. For indirect drive ICF, controlling the shape of the implosion to maintain spherical symmetry is imperative for robust performance. To understand target asymmetries originating from the laser-driven hohlraum, we have modeled two previous double shell shots at the National Ignition Facility with the same capsule geometry but different laser setups using xRAGE, LANL’s Eulerian radiation hydrodynamic code.^1,2 We have tuned xRAGE input decks to match the experimental data using the method outlined by Goodarzi et al.³ Here we compare the Legendre shape coefficients of experimental and simulated X-ray radiographs; this allows us to observe the evolution of the inner and outer capsule shells during the implosion. The comparison of both simulated and experimental x-ray radiographs provides the capability for careful modeling of pre-shot predictions to help inform and guide campaign design decisions.