V. A. Smalyuk
A5067629593- Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
- Combustion and Detonation Processes
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Energetic Materials and Combustion
- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Laser Design and Applications
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Particle Dynamics in Fluid Flows
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Ion-surface interactions and analysis
- Gas Dynamics and Kinetic Theory
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
- Cold Fusion and Nuclear Reactions
- Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
- Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
- Laser Material Processing Techniques
- Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Fusion materials and technologies
- Traumatic Ocular and Foreign Body Injuries
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
2016-2025
General Atomics (United States)
2012-2024
Los Alamos National Laboratory
1998-2019
Schafer Corporation (United States)
2018
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2008-2018
Energetics (United States)
2007-2017
University of Rochester
2007-2017
University of Nevada, Reno
2008-2017
Prism Computational Sciences (United States)
2008-2017
Fusion Academy
2008-2017
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory includes a precision laser system now capable of delivering 1.8 MJ 500 TW 0.35-μm light to target. NIF has been operational since March 2009. A variety experiments have completed in support NIF's mission areas: national security, fundamental science, and inertial fusion energy. capabilities infrastructure are place its missions with nearly 60 X-ray, optical, nuclear diagnostic systems. primary goal the Campaign (NIC) on...
Deuterium-tritium inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments on the National Ignition Facility have demonstrated yields ranging from 0.8 to 7×10(14), and record fuel areal densities of 0.7 1.3 g/cm2. These implosions use hohlraums irradiated with shaped laser pulses 1.5-1.9 MJ energy. The peak power duration at were varied, as capsule ablator dopant concentrations shell thicknesses. We quantify level hydrodynamic instability mix into hot spot measured elevated absolute x-ray emission...
An indirect-drive inertial fusion experiment on the National Ignition Facility was driven using 2.05 MJ of laser light at a wavelength 351 nm and produced 3.1±0.16 total yield, producing target gain G=1.5±0.1 exceeding unity for first time in laboratory [Phys. Rev. E 109, 025204 (2024)10.1103/PhysRevE.109.025204]. Herein we describe experimental evidence increased drive capsule additional energy control over known degradation mechanisms, which are critical to achieving high performance....
We demonstrate a laser beam-smoothing technique known as polarization smoothing. A birefringent optical wedge splits the individual beams into two orthogonally polarized that, when coupled with distributed phase plate, produce speckle patterns shifted respect to one another. This instantaneously reduces on-target nonuniformity by factor of √. measured this reduction optically and its effect is demonstrated in laser-driven targets.
Electromagnetic (E/B) fields generated by the interaction with plasmas of long-pulse, low-intensity laser beams relevant to inertial confinement fusion have been measured for first time using novel monoenergetic proton radiography methods. High-resolution, time-gated images a plastic foil driven 10(14) W/cm(2) implied B approximately 0.5 MG and E 1.5 x 10(8) V/m. Simulations these experiments LASNEX+LSP performed are in overall (though not exact) agreement data both field strengths spatial...
The spatial structure and temporal evolution of megagauss magnetic fields generated by interactions up to 4 laser beams with matter were studied an innovative, time-gated proton radiography method that produces images unprecedented clarity because it uses isotropic, truly monoenergetic backlighter (14.7-MeV protons from $\mathrm{D}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ nuclear fusion reactions). Quantitative field maps reveal precisely directly, for the first time, changes in topology due reconnection a...
Excessive increase in the shell entropy and degradation from spherical symmetry inertial confinement fusion implosions limit compression could impede ignition. The is controlled by accurately timing shock waves launched into at an early stage of implosion. seeding Rayleigh-Taylor instability, main source asymmetry growth, also set times during transit across shell. In this paper we model perturbation growth directly driven targets measured on OMEGA laser system [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt....
Mixing of plastic ablator material, doped with Cu and Ge dopants, deep into the hot spot ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion implosions by hydrodynamic instabilities is diagnosed x-ray spectroscopy on National Ignition Facility. The amount hot-spot mix mass determined from absolute brightness emergent K-shell emission. dopants placed at different radial locations in show ablation-front instability primarily responsible for mix. Low neutron yields between 34(-13,+50) ng 4000(-2970,+17...
DT neutron yield (Y(n)), ion temperature (T(i)), and down-scatter ratio (dsr) determined from measured spectra are essential metrics for diagnosing the performance of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions at National Ignition Facility (NIF). A suite neutron-time-of-flight (nTOF) spectrometers a magnetic recoil spectrometer (MRS) have been implemented in different locations around NIF target chamber, providing good implosion coverage complementarity required reliable measurements Y(n),...
A new in-flight radiography platform has been established at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules. The tested up a convergence ratio of 4. An experimental campaign is underway pre-imposed sinusoidal modulations capsule surface, as function wavelength, for pair ignition-relevant laser drives: “low-foot” drive representative what was fielded during Campaign (NIC) [Edwards et al., Phys....
The Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability occurs at an interface between two fluids of differing density during acceleration. These instabilities can occur in very diverse settings, from inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions over spatial scales <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> cm (10–1,000 μm) to...
Ignition experiments have shown an anomalous susceptibility to hydrodynamic instability growth. To help understand these results, the first growth measurements in indirectly driven implosions on National Facility were performed at ignition conditions with peak radiation temperatures up ∼300 eV. Plastic capsules two-dimensional preimposed, sinusoidal outer surface modulations of initial wavelengths 240 (corresponding a Legendre mode number 30), 120 (mode 60), and 80 μm 90) imploded by using...
Significant progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research has been made since the completion of 60-beam, 30-kJUV OMEGA Laser System [Boehly, Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] 1995. A theory ignition requirements, applicable to any ICF concept, developed. Detailed understanding laser-plasma coupling, electron thermal transport, and hot-electron preheating lead measurement neutron-averaged areal densities ∼200mg∕cm2 cryogenic target implosions. These correspond an estimated...
High mode number instability growth of “isolated defects” on the surfaces National Ignition Facility [Moses et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 041006 (2009)] capsules can be large enough for perturbation to penetrate imploding shell, and produce a jet ablator material that enters hot-spot. Since internal regions CH are doped with Ge, mixing this into hot-spot results in clear signature Ge K-shell emission. Evidence jets entering has been recorded x-ray images spectra, consistent simulation...
The success of direct-drive-ignition target designs depends on two issues: the ability to maintain main fuel adiabat at a low level and control nonuniformity growth during implosion. A series experiments was performed OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly, D. L. Brown, S. Craxton et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] study physics low-adiabat, high-compression cryogenic assembly. Modeling these requires an accurate account for all sources shell heating, including shock heating suprathermal...
Spherical shock-ignition experiments on OMEGA used a novel beam configuration that separates low-intensity compression beams and high-intensity spike beams. Significant improvements in the performance of plastic-shell, D2 implosions were observed with repointed The analysis coupling energy into imploding capsule indicates absorbed hot-electron contributes to coupling. backscattering laser was measured reach up 36% at single-beam intensities ∼8 × 1015 W/cm2. Hard x-ray measurements revealed...
Hydrodynamic instabilities are a major obstacle in the quest to achieve ignition as they cause preexisting capsule defects grow and ultimately quench fusion burn experiments at National Ignition Facility. Unstable growth ablation front has been dramatically reduced implosions with ``high-foot'' drives measured using x-ray radiography of modulations most dangerous wavelengths (Legendre mode numbers 30--90). These reductions have helped improve performance layered DT reported by O. A....
Nonuniformities seeded by both long- and short-wavelength laser perturbations can grow via Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, leading to performance reduction low-adiabat implosions. To mitigate the effect of imprinting on target performance, spherical RT experiments have been performed OMEGA using Si- or Ge-doped plastic targets a cone-in-shell configuration. Compared pure target, radiation preheating from these high-$Z$ dopants...
This paper reviews scientific results from the pursuit of indirect drive ignition on National Ignition Facility (NIF) and describes program's forward looking research directions. In NIF, laser beams heat an x-ray enclosure called a hohlraum that surrounds spherical pellet. X-ray radiation ablates surface pellet, imploding thin shell deuterium/tritium (DT) must accelerate to high velocity (v > 350 km s−1) compress by factor several thousand. Since 2009, substantial progress has been made in...
Producing a burning plasma in the laboratory has been long-standing milestone for physics community. A is state where alpha particle deposition from deuterium–tritium (DT) fusion reactions leading source of energy input to DT plasma. Achieving these high thermonuclear yields an inertial confinement (ICF) implosion requires efficient transfer driving source, e.g., lasers, fuel. In indirect-drive ICF, fuel loaded into spherical capsule which placed at center cylindrical radiation enclosure,...
We describe the overall performance of major indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion campaigns executed at National Ignition Facility. With respect to proximity ignition, we can current experiments both in terms no-burn ignition metrics (metrics based on hydrodynamic targets absence alpha-particle heating) and thermodynamic properties hotspot dense fuel stagnation—in particular, pressure, temperature, areal density. a simple 1D isobaric model derive these quantities from experimental...
The micrometer-scale tube that fills capsules with thermonuclear fuel in inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility is also one of implosion's main degradation sources. It seeds a perturbation injects ablator material into center, radiating away some hot-spot energy. This paper discusses how arises using high-density carbon ablators and mix interacts once it enters hot-spot. Both modeling show an in-flight areal-density localized x-ray emission stagnation from...
It has long been recognized that high compression, and hence good confinement, is essential to achieving yields in inertial confinement fusion implosions. In pursuit of multi-megajoule on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), a new campaign begun aimed at testing hypothesis controlling hydrodynamic stability key effective higher compression with density carbon ablators currently fielded NIF. This built around implosion design, called SQ-n, derived from uniquely stable Bigfoot design tested...
In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions, the interface between cryogenic DT fuel and ablator is unstable to shock acceleration (the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, RM) constant (Rayleigh-Taylor RT). Instability growth at this can reduce final compression, limiting burnup. If in direction of lighter material (negative Atwood number), RT instability produces oscillatory motion that stabilize against RM growth. Theory simulations suggest scenario occurred early times some ICF experiments...
The interface between the capsule ablator and fuel ice layer is susceptible to hydrodynamic instabilities. subsequent mixing of hot material into reduces compression at stagnation a candidate for reduced performance. ability diagnose ice–ablator mix critical understanding improving stability this interface. Combining crystal backlighter imager with single line sight camera on National Ignition Facility (NIF) allows direct measurement by providing multiple quasi-monochromatic radiographs...