In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Physics, Damghan University, P.O. Box: 36716-41167, Damghan - Iran

Abstract

High-density carbon ablator is one of the promising candidates for thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion. A double-layer polystyrene-high dense carbon ablator has been used to reduce the hydrodynamic instabilities as well as protect the fuel from the preheating phenomenon. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the optimization of a typical double ablator spherical target with an initial polystyrene ablator layer with a thickness of 37 µm by using MULTI-IFE hydrodynamic code. This target was irradiated with symmetrical laser beams with 22.7 ns pulse duration, 0.25 µm wavelength, and 1.7 MJ total pulse energy. Our calculations show that the optimal thickness of the high-density carbon is about 5.6m. Using a diamond ablator increases the absorbed laser energy at the target surface by approximately 8%. Increasing the absorbed energy leads to an increase of about 5% in the alpha power deposition, and as a result, the fuel burn fraction increases by about 1.5%. Eventually, fuel acquire increases by approximately 12%.

Highlights

  1. C.B. Edwards, et al. Inertial confinement fusion and prospects for power production, High Power Laser Sci. Eng., 3, 1 (2015).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, et al., Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, Phys. Plasmas, 15, 055503 (2008).

 

  1. J. Lindl, Development of the indirect‐drive approach to inertial confinement fusion and the target physics basis for ignition and gain, Phys. Plasmas, 2, 3933 (1995).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, et al, Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, Phys. Plasmas, 15, 055503 (2008).

 

  1. J. Breil, et al., Multi-material ALE computation in inertial confinement fusion code CHIC, Comput. Fluids, 46, 161 (2011).

 

  1. S. Peng, et al., LARED-Integration code for numerical simulation of the whole process of the indirect-drive laser inertial confinement fusion, High Power Laser and Particle Beams, 27, 032007 (2015).

 

  1. R.W. Paddock, et al., One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of low convergence ratio direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions, Philos. T. Roy. Soc., A. 379, 20200224 (2020).

 

  1. R. Ramis, J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, MULTI-IFE—A one-dimensional computer code for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) target simulations, Comput. Phys. Commun., 203, 226 (2016).

 

  1. S.W. Haan, Point design targets, specifications, and requirements for the 2010 ignition campaign on the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Plasmas, 18, 051001 (2011).

 

  1. J. Nilsen, Understanding the effects of radiative preheat and self-emission from shock heating on equation of state measurement at 100s of Mbar using spherically converging shock waves in a NIF hohlraum, Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 5, 018401 (2020).

 

  1. L.B. Hopkins, et al., Increasing stagnation pressure and thermonuclear performance of inertial confinement fusion capsules by the introduction of a high-Z dopant, Phys. Plasmas, 25, 080706 (2018).

 

  1. V.A. Smalyuk, et al., Hydrodynamic instability growth and mix experiments at the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Plasmas, 21, 056301 (2014).

 

  1. V.A. Smalyuk, et al., Review of hydrodynamic instability experiments in inertially confined fusion implosions on National Ignition Facility, Plasma Phys. Control, 62, 014007 (2020).

 

  1. H. Louis, et al., Miniature Targets for Hydrodynamic Instability Experiments on Nova, Fusion Sci. Technol., 28, 1833 (1995).

 

  1. C. R. Weber, et al., First Measurements of Fuel-Ablator Interface Instability Growth in Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions on the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Rev. Lett., 117, 159902 (2016).

 

  1. J. Biener, Diamond ablators for inertial confinement fusion, Fusion Sci. Technol., 49, 737 (2006).

 

  1. A.B. Zylstra, et al., Record Energetics for an Inertial Fusion Implosion at NIF, Phys. Rev. Lett., 126, 025001 (2021).

 

  1. L.F.B. Hopkins, et al., First High-Convergence Cryogenic Implosion in a Near-Vacuum Hohlraum, Phys. Rev. Lett., 114, 175001 (2015).

 

  1. J.L. Kline, et al., Progress of indirect drive inertial confinement fusion in the United States, Nuclear Fusion, 59, 11 (2019).

 

  1. X. Qiao, Novel Target Designs to Mitigate Hydrodynamic Instabilities Growth in Inertial Confinement Fusion, Phys. Rev. Lett., 126, 185001 (2021).

 

  1. H.D. Whitley, et al., Comparison of ablators for the polar direct drive exploding pusher platform, High Energy Density Phys, 38, 100928 (2021).

 

  1. R. Ramis, One-dimensional Lagrangian implicit hydrodynamic algorithm form Inertial Confinement Fusion applications, J. Comput. Phys., 330, 173 (2017).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, C.P. Verdon, Inertial Confinement Fusion, Proceedings of the Course and Workshop, (Eds. Caruso and E. Sindoni, 1988), 83-123.

 

  1. S. Atzeni, J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, The physics of inertial fusion, 1st ed. (Claredon Press, Oxford, 2004).

 

  1. K.S. Kumar, et al., Microwave Assisted Synthesis and Characterizations of Decorated Activated Carbon, Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., 7, 5484 (2012).

 

  1. B.C. Stuart, et al., Nanosecond-to-femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in dielectrics, Phys. Rev., B 53, 4 (1996).

 

  1. B.C. Stuart, et al., Optical ablation by high-power shortpulse lasers, JOSA, B 13, 459 (1996).

 

  1. B. Ali Khan, et al., Femtosecond laser micromachining of diamond: current research status, applications and challenges, Carbon, 179, 209 (2021).

 

  1. V.N. Goncharov, Improving the hot-spot pressure and demonstrating ignition hydrodynamic equivalence in cryogenic deuterium–tritium implosions on OMEGA, Phys. Plasmas, 21, 056315 (2014).

 

  1. S. Pfalzner, An Introduction to Inertial Confinement Fusion, (CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2006).

 

  1. R.S. Craxton, Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review, Phys Plasmas, 22, 110501 (2015).

Keywords

  1. C.B. Edwards, et al. Inertial confinement fusion and prospects for power production, High Power Laser Sci. Eng., 3, 1 (2015).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, et al., Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, Phys. Plasmas, 15, 055503 (2008).

 

  1. J. Lindl, Development of the indirect‐drive approach to inertial confinement fusion and the target physics basis for ignition and gain, Phys. Plasmas, 2, 3933 (1995).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, et al, Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, Phys. Plasmas, 15, 055503 (2008).

 

  1. J. Breil, et al., Multi-material ALE computation in inertial confinement fusion code CHIC, Comput. Fluids, 46, 161 (2011).

 

  1. S. Peng, et al., LARED-Integration code for numerical simulation of the whole process of the indirect-drive laser inertial confinement fusion, High Power Laser and Particle Beams, 27, 032007 (2015).

 

  1. R.W. Paddock, et al., One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of low convergence ratio direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions, Philos. T. Roy. Soc., A. 379, 20200224 (2020).

 

  1. R. Ramis, J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, MULTI-IFE—A one-dimensional computer code for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) target simulations, Comput. Phys. Commun., 203, 226 (2016).

 

  1. S.W. Haan, Point design targets, specifications, and requirements for the 2010 ignition campaign on the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Plasmas, 18, 051001 (2011).

 

  1. J. Nilsen, Understanding the effects of radiative preheat and self-emission from shock heating on equation of state measurement at 100s of Mbar using spherically converging shock waves in a NIF hohlraum, Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 5, 018401 (2020).

 

  1. L.B. Hopkins, et al., Increasing stagnation pressure and thermonuclear performance of inertial confinement fusion capsules by the introduction of a high-Z dopant, Phys. Plasmas, 25, 080706 (2018).

 

  1. V.A. Smalyuk, et al., Hydrodynamic instability growth and mix experiments at the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Plasmas, 21, 056301 (2014).

 

  1. V.A. Smalyuk, et al., Review of hydrodynamic instability experiments in inertially confined fusion implosions on National Ignition Facility, Plasma Phys. Control, 62, 014007 (2020).

 

  1. H. Louis, et al., Miniature Targets for Hydrodynamic Instability Experiments on Nova, Fusion Sci. Technol., 28, 1833 (1995).

 

  1. C. R. Weber, et al., First Measurements of Fuel-Ablator Interface Instability Growth in Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions on the National Ignition Facility, Phys. Rev. Lett., 117, 159902 (2016).

 

  1. J. Biener, Diamond ablators for inertial confinement fusion, Fusion Sci. Technol., 49, 737 (2006).

 

  1. A.B. Zylstra, et al., Record Energetics for an Inertial Fusion Implosion at NIF, Phys. Rev. Lett., 126, 025001 (2021).

 

  1. L.F.B. Hopkins, et al., First High-Convergence Cryogenic Implosion in a Near-Vacuum Hohlraum, Phys. Rev. Lett., 114, 175001 (2015).

 

  1. J.L. Kline, et al., Progress of indirect drive inertial confinement fusion in the United States, Nuclear Fusion, 59, 11 (2019).

 

  1. X. Qiao, Novel Target Designs to Mitigate Hydrodynamic Instabilities Growth in Inertial Confinement Fusion, Phys. Rev. Lett., 126, 185001 (2021).

 

  1. H.D. Whitley, et al., Comparison of ablators for the polar direct drive exploding pusher platform, High Energy Density Phys, 38, 100928 (2021).

 

  1. R. Ramis, One-dimensional Lagrangian implicit hydrodynamic algorithm form Inertial Confinement Fusion applications, J. Comput. Phys., 330, 173 (2017).

 

  1. R.L. McCrory, C.P. Verdon, Inertial Confinement Fusion, Proceedings of the Course and Workshop, (Eds. Caruso and E. Sindoni, 1988), 83-123.

 

  1. S. Atzeni, J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, The physics of inertial fusion, 1st ed. (Claredon Press, Oxford, 2004).

 

  1. K.S. Kumar, et al., Microwave Assisted Synthesis and Characterizations of Decorated Activated Carbon, Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., 7, 5484 (2012).

 

  1. B.C. Stuart, et al., Nanosecond-to-femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in dielectrics, Phys. Rev., B 53, 4 (1996).

 

  1. B.C. Stuart, et al., Optical ablation by high-power shortpulse lasers, JOSA, B 13, 459 (1996).

 

  1. B. Ali Khan, et al., Femtosecond laser micromachining of diamond: current research status, applications and challenges, Carbon, 179, 209 (2021).

 

  1. V.N. Goncharov, Improving the hot-spot pressure and demonstrating ignition hydrodynamic equivalence in cryogenic deuterium–tritium implosions on OMEGA, Phys. Plasmas, 21, 056315 (2014).

 

  1. S. Pfalzner, An Introduction to Inertial Confinement Fusion, (CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2006).

 

  1. R.S. Craxton, Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review, Phys Plasmas, 22, 110501 (2015).