Measurements of improved stability to achieve higher fuel compression in ICF

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0167424
• Publication Date: 2023-11-14T13:16:58Z
• Authors: A. Do; D. T. Casey; D. S. Clark; B. Bachmann; K. L. Baker; T. Braun; T. M. Briggs; T. D Chapman; P. M. Celliers; H. Chen; C. Choate; E. L. Dewald; L. Divol; G. Fathi; D. N. Fittinghoff; G. N. Hall; E. Hartouni; D. M. Holunga; S. F. Khan; A. L. Kritcher; O. L. Landen; A. G. MacPhee; M. Millot; E. V. Marley; J. L. Milovich; A. Nikroo; A. E. Pak; D. J. Schlossberg; V. A. Smalyuk; M. Stadermann; D. J. Strozzi; R. Tommasini; C. R. Weber; B. N. Woodworth; D. K. Yanagisawa; N. W. Birge; C. R. Danly; M. Durocher; M. S. Freeman; H. Geppert-Kleinrath; V. Geppert-Kleinrath; Y. Kim; K. D Meaney; C. H. Wilde; M. Gatu Johnson; A. Allen; M. Ratledge; C. Kong; T. Fehrenbach; C. Wild
• Keywords: National Ignition Facility; Implosion; Thermonuclear Fusion

While nuclear fusion ignition has been achieved at the National Ignition Facility in inertial confinement (ICF) experiments, obtaining higher gain and more efficient burn is still desired. In that regard, increasing compression of fuel an important factor. recent indirect-drive capsule implosions, SQ-n campaign testing hypothesis reducing hydrodynamic growth perturbations key to achieving high-density carbon based-ablators for ICF. uses a design lower adiabat with ramped foot laser pulse shape minimize early-time instability growth, predicted be reduced by factor 10, optimized ablator dopant distribution. Subsets experiments were conducted within study implosion symmetry, backscatter, stability, compression. Only latter two will reviewed here. Shock timing using velocity interferometer system any reflector diagnostic enabled development gently accelerating shock velocity. The ice–ablator interface acceleration, managing Richtmyer–Meshkov phase was observed refraction enhanced radiography ablation front measured pre-imposed modulations. Finally, layered tritium-hydrogen-deuterium (∼75% H, ∼25% T, ∼2–10% D) deuterium–tritium implosions demonstrate between 15% ± 3% 30% 6% improved achieved.