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Progress in symmetric ICF capsule implosions and wire-array z -pinch source physics for double-pinch-driven hohlraums

2006; IOP Publishing; Volume: 48; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1088/0741-3335/48/2/r01

1361-6587

M. E. Cuneo, Roger Alan Vesey, Guy R. Bennett, D. B. Sinars, W. A. Stygar, E. M. Waisman, J. L. Porter, Patrick K. Rambo, I. C. Smith, S. V. Lebedev, J. P. Chittenden, David E. Bliss, T. J. Nash, G. A. Chandler, Bedros Afeyan, Edmund Yu, R. B. Campbell, R. G. Adams, D. L. Hanson, T. A. Mehlhorn, M. K. Matzen,

Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications

Over the last several years, rapid progress has been made evaluating the double-z-pinch indirect-drive, inertial confinement fusion (ICF) high-yield target concept (Hammer et al 1999 Phys. Plasmas 6 2129). We have demonstrated efficient coupling of radiation from two wire-array-driven primary hohlraums to a secondary hohlraum that is large enough to drive a high yield ICF capsule. The secondary hohlraum is irradiated from two sides by z-pinches to produce low odd-mode radiation asymmetry. This double-pinch source is driven from a single electrical power feed (Cuneo et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 215004) on the 20 MA Z accelerator. The double z-pinch has imploded ICF capsules with even-mode radiation symmetry of 3.1 ± 1.4% and to high capsule radial convergence ratios of 14–21 (Bennett et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 245002; Bennett et al 2003 Phys. Plasmas 10 3717; Vesey et al 2003 Phys. Plasmas 10 1854). Advances in wire-array physics at 20 MA are improving our understanding of z-pinch power scaling with increasing drive current. Techniques for shaping the z-pinch radiation pulse necessary for low adiabat capsule compression have also been demonstrated.