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Analysis of Hot-Electron Preheat of High-Performing OMEGA Cryogenic Implosions

ORAL

Abstract

Fast electrons generated in the coronal plasma by laser–plasma instabilities can preheat cryogenic DT fuel, thereby raising its adiabat and lowering final compression. One-dimensional LILAC simulations of high-performing OMEGA cryogenic implosions show the conditions at quarter critical to be above the threshold for two-plasmon–decay (TPD) instability. Significant amount of w/2 signal, characteristic of TPD decay, is also measured. We use methods developed from dedicated preheat measurement experiments to infer fast-electron preheat and quantify resulting performance degradation for some high-performing OMEGA cryogenic implosions. We also show that replacing CD ablator with silicate plastic CHSi can alleviate hot-electron preheat. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0003856.

A. R. Christopherson et al., “Direct Measurements of DT Fuel Preheat from Hot Electrons in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion,” to be published in Physical Review Letters.

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Presenters

  • Dhrumir P Patel

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

Authors

  • Dhrumir P Patel

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

  • Riccardo S Betti

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

  • Alison R Christopherson

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLNL, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • James P Knauer

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

  • Christian Stoeckl

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

  • Varchas Gopalaswamy

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

  • Michael J Rosenberg

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