Simulations of the National Ignition Facility Opacity Sample

ORAL

Abstract

A platform to study the opacity of high temperature materials at the National Ignition Facility has been developed[1]. Experiments to study the opacity of materials relevant to inertial confinement fusion and stellar astrophysics are being conducted. The initial NIF experiments are focused on reaching the same plasma conditions (T \textgreater 150 eV and Ne $\ge $ 7 x 10$^{\mathrm{21}}$ cm$^{\mathrm{-3}})$, for iron, as those achieved in previous experiments at Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL) Z-facility which have shown discrepancies between opacity theory and experiment. We developed a methodology, using 1D HYDRA simulations, to study the effects of tamper thickness on the conditions of iron-magnesium samples. We heat the sample using an x-ray drive from 2D LASNEX hohlraum simulations. We also use this methodology to predict sample uniformity and expansion for comparison with experimental data. [1] T. S. Perry \textit{et al.}, HEDP 23, 223 (2017)

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Authors

  • M. E. Martin

    LLNL, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Richard London

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Robert Heeter

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLNL, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Evan Dodd

    LANL, Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Barbara DeVolder

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Yekaterina Opachich

    National Security Technologies

  • Duane Liedahl

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLNL, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Theodore Perry

    LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab