RESUMEN
A tailored-pulse-imploded core with a diameter of 70 µm is flashed by counterirradiating 110 fs, 7 TW laser pulses. Photon emission (>40 eV) from the core exceeds the emission from the imploded core by 6 times, even though the heating pulse energies are only one seventh of the implosion energy. The coupling efficiency from the heating laser to the core using counterirradiation is 14% from the enhancement of photon emission. Neutrons are also produced by counterpropagating fast deuterons accelerated by the photon pressure of the heating pulses. A collisional two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation reveals that the collisionless two counterpropagating fast-electron currents induce mega-Gauss magnetic filaments in the center of the core due to the Weibel instability. The counterpropagating fast-electron currents are absolutely unstable and independent of the core density and resistivity. Fast electrons with energy below a few MeV are trapped by these filaments in the core region, inducing an additional coupling. This might lead to the observed bright photon emissions.
RESUMEN
A novel direct core heating fusion process is introduced, in which a preimploded core is predominantly heated by energetic ions driven by LFEX, an extremely energetic ultrashort pulse laser. Consequently, we have observed the D(d,n)^{3}He-reacted neutrons (DD beam-fusion neutrons) with the yield of 5×10^{8} n/4π sr. Examination of the beam-fusion neutrons verified that the ions directly collide with the core plasma. While the hot electrons heat the whole core volume, the energetic ions deposit their energies locally in the core, forming hot spots for fuel ignition. As evidenced in the spectrum, the process simultaneously excited thermal neutrons with the yield of 6×10^{7} n/4π sr, raising the local core temperature from 0.8 to 1.8 keV. A one-dimensional hydrocode STAR 1D explains the shell implosion dynamics including the beam fusion and thermal fusion initiated by fast deuterons and carbon ions. A two-dimensional collisional particle-in-cell code predicts the core heating due to resistive processes driven by hot electrons, and also the generation of fast ions, which could be an additional heating source when they reach the core. Since the core density is limited to 2 g/cm^{3} in the current experiment, neither hot electrons nor fast ions can efficiently deposit their energy and the neutron yield remains low. In future work, we will achieve the higher core density (>10 g/cm^{3}); then hot electrons could contribute more to the core heating via drag heating. Together with hot electrons, the ion contribution to fast ignition is indispensable for realizing high-gain fusion. By virtue of its core heating and ignition, the proposed scheme can potentially achieve high gain fusion.
RESUMEN
A compact fast core heating experiment is described. A 4-J 0.4-ns output of a laser-diode-pumped high-repetition laser HAMA is divided into four beams, two of which counterilluminate double-deuterated polystyrene foils separated by 100 µm for implosion. The remaining two beams, compressed to 110 fs for fast heating, illuminate the same paths. Hot electrons produced by the heating pulses heat the imploded core, emitting x-ray radiations >20 eV and yielding some 10(3) thermal neutrons.
RESUMEN
Low-density plastic foam filled with liquid deuterium is one of the candidates for inertial fusion target. Density profile and trajectory of 527 nm laser-irradiated planer foam-deuterium target in the acceleration phase were observed with streaked side-on x-ray backlighting. An x-ray imager employing twin slits coupled to an x-ray streak camera was used to simultaneously observe three images of the target: self-emission from the target, x-ray backlighter profile, and the backlit target. The experimentally obtained density profile and trajectory were in good agreement with predictions by one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation code ILESTA-1D.
RESUMEN
We simulate direct-drive CH target implosions with square laser pulses by a one-dimensional Fokker-Planck solver combined with a hydrodynamic code, and compare the results with those simulated by the flux-limited Spitzer-Härm model. We find that the electron thermal flux inhibition is time dependent, resulting in longer density scale length, larger laser absorption, and smaller growth of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The time of peak neutron production calculated from Fokker-Planck simulations agrees with experiments for both 1-ns and 400-ps pulses.
RESUMEN
The laser-driven equation-of-state (EOS) experiments for polyimide are presented. The experiments were performed with emission measurements from the rear sides of shocked targets at up to a laser intensity of 10(14) W/cm(2) or higher with 351 nm wavelength and 2.5 ns duration. Polyimide Hugoniot data were obtained up to 0.6 TPa with good accuracy. Applying low-density foam ablator to the EOS unknown material, we also obtained the data at a highest pressure of 5.8 TPa in the nonmetal materials. Those data were in agreement with the theoretical curves.
RESUMEN
One of the most important quantities to be measured for better understanding of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability is the growth rate in the short wavelength region at which the RT instability is significantly reduced. The short wavelength ( 4.7-12 microm) RT growth rates for direct-drive targets were measured for the first time by utilizing the innovated moiré interferometry [M. Matsuoka et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 637 (1999)]. These growth rates were reasonably well reproduced by the simulation that solves the Fokker-Planck equation for nonlocal heat transport.
RESUMEN
We present x-ray shadowgraphs from a high Mach number ( approximately 20) laboratory environment that simulate outward flowing ejecta matter from supernovae that interact with ambient cloud matter. Using a laser-plastic foil interaction, we generate a "complex" blast wave (a supersonic flow containing forward and reverse shock waves and a contact discontinuity between them) that interacts with a high-density (100 times ambient) sphere. The experimental results, including vorticity localization, compare favorably with two-dimensional axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations.
RESUMEN
Modern high-power lasers can generate extreme states of matter that are relevant to astrophysics, equation-of-state studies and fusion energy research. Laser-driven implosions of spherical polymer shells have, for example, achieved an increase in density of 1,000 times relative to the solid state. These densities are large enough to enable controlled fusion, but to achieve energy gain a small volume of compressed fuel (known as the 'spark') must be heated to temperatures of about 108 K (corresponding to thermal energies in excess of 10 keV). In the conventional approach to controlled fusion, the spark is both produced and heated by accurately timed shock waves, but this process requires both precise implosion symmetry and a very large drive energy. In principle, these requirements can be significantly relaxed by performing the compression and fast heating separately; however, this 'fast ignitor' approach also suffers drawbacks, such as propagation losses and deflection of the ultra-intense laser pulse by the plasma surrounding the compressed fuel. Here we employ a new compression geometry that eliminates these problems; we combine production of compressed matter in a laser-driven implosion with picosecond-fast heating by a laser pulse timed to coincide with the peak compression. Our approach therefore permits efficient compression and heating to be carried out simultaneously, providing a route to efficient fusion energy production.
