Novel Hot-Spot--Ignition Designs for Inertial Confinement Fusion with Liquid Deuterium--Tritium Spheres

ORAL

Abstract

A new class of ignition designs is proposed for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. These designs are based on the hot-spot--ignition approach, but instead of conventional targets that comprise of spherical shells with thin frozen deuterium--tritium (DT) layers, liquid DT spheres are used where the lower-density central region and higher-density shell are created dynamically by appropriately shaping the laser pulse. These offer several advantages, including simplicity in target production and lower sensitivity to physics uncertainty in shock interaction with the ice/vapor interface. The design evolution starts by launching an \textasciitilde 1-Mbar shock into a homogeneous DT sphere. After bouncing from the center, the reflected shock reaches the outer surface of the sphere and the shocked material starts to expand outward until its pressure drops below the ablation pressure. At this point, an adjustment shock is launched inward by supporting ablation pressure. This shock compresses the ablator and fuel, forming a shell. The shell then is accelerated and compressed by appropriately shaping the drive laser pulse, similar to the conventional thin-shell, hot-spot designs. This talk will discuss the feasibility of the new concept using hydrodynamic simulations.

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Authors

  • V. N. Goncharov

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, LLE, Univ. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Iogr Igumenshchev

    Laboratory of Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Lab for Laser Energetics

  • D. R. Harding

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Samuel Morse

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics

  • Suxing Hu

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Univ. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, LLE, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Uni. of Rochester

  • P. B. Radha

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, LLE-UR, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, University of Rochester

  • D.H. Froula

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics University of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, New York 14623, USA

  • Sean Regan

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics - University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, LLE-UR, LLE, Univ. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Lab for Laser Energetics

  • T. C. Sangster

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • E. M. Campbell

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, LLE, Univ. of Rochester, Lab for Laser Energetics