Results from Marble Experiments Using an Argon/Tritium Fill Gas for Studying the Effect of Heterogeneous Mix on Thermonuclear Burn

ORAL

Abstract

The Marble\footnote{T J Murphy {\it et al,} J Phys:Conf Series {\bf 717}, 012072 (2016).} campaign on NIF quantifies the effect of heterogeneous mix on thermonuclear burn for comparison to a probability distribution function (PDF) burn model.\footnote{J R Fincke, unpublished; J R Ristorcelli, Phys Fluids 29, 020705 (2017).} MARBLE utilizes plastic capsules filled with deuterated plastic foam and tritium-containing gas. Indirect-drive experiments in which the Marble capsules were filled with a hydrogen/tritium gas mix and driven with either a single strong shock or using a 2-shock drive have been completed. The ratio of DT to DD neutron yield for these shots is consistent with that for uniform atomic mix regardless of the initial morphology of the foam. Recent experiments, in which the hydrogen-tritium fill gas is replaced with an argon-tritium mixture, has shown the expected decrease in DT/DD yield ratio with non-uniform initial foam morphology.

Authors

  • Thomas J Murphy

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • B. J. Albright

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Melissa Douglas

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Tana Cardenas

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • James Cooley

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Thomas Day

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Mark Gunderson

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Jeff Haack

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Lab

  • B.M. Haines

    LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Christopher Hamilton

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Yongho Kim

    LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Matthew Lee

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • John Oertel

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • R. E. Olson

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANL

  • Blaine Randolph

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Joseph Smidt

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • L. Yin

    Los Alamos National Laboratory