Monte Carlo N-Particle forward modeling for density reconstruction of double shell capsule radiographs.

ABSTRACT

In the Double Shell Inertial Confinement Fusion concept, characterizing the shape asymmetry of imploding metal shells is vital for understanding energy-efficient compression and radiative losses of the thermonuclear fuel. The Monte Carlo N-Particle MCNP® code forward models radiography of Double Shell capsule implosions using the Advanced Radiographic Capability at the National Ignition Facility. A procedure is developed for using MCNP to reconstruct density profiles from the radiograph image intensity. For a given Double Shell imploding target geometry, MCNP radiographs predict image contrast, which can help guide experimental design. In future work, the calculated MCNP synthetic radiographs will be compared with experimental radiographs to determine the radial and azimuthal density profiles of the Double Shell capsules.