Lecture 2: Symmetry issues
Oswald Willi
Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik
Vorlesung SS 2007User ID: LaserPasswort: Plasma
Tel. 0211 81 12157
[email protected]
Different ignition concepts
The Rayleigh-Taylor instability
RT instability in inertial confinement fusion
RT instability induced by laser imprint
RT instability induced by target modulations
The Rayleigh-Taylor instability occurs when a heavy fluid sits on top of a lighter fluid
The RT instability is studied due to its potential to degrade the implosion performance
Rayleigh-Taylor instability
Face on and side on radiographic techniques are used to measure RT growth
Temporal evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (Osaka)
A shaped, low adiabat x-ray drive is generated in a hohlraum. Foil diagnosis is through imaging in
back illumination with x-rays.
Rayleigh-Taylor instability
Ablative stabilization reduces the growth rate, results from material flowing through the RT
unstable region with a velocity va
RT growth rate scaling with wavelength
For ICF, a high aspect ratio target is required to amplify the ablation pressure, but Rayleigh-Taylor
instability limits the aspect ratio
Cylindrical Rayleigh-Taylor instability
A series of 2-D images showing RT growth in converging geometry
3-D hydrodynamic simulations of RT instability at fuel-pusher interface
The uniformity problem
Laser imprinting and the RT instability in inertial confinement fusion
The physical process of imprint is similar to that of the classical Richtmyer - Meshkov instability
Laser spatial non-uniformities give rise to perturbations in the driving pressure
Mechanism for non-uniform imprinting due to lack of thermal smoothing
Observations of laser imprinting and 3-D hydro-code simulations
Considerable growth is observed in the case of a smooth CH foil driven by a laser beam with a single
60µm mode perturbation
Model based on single-mode imprint scalings from simulations predicts multi-mode result
Single-mode imprint simulations provide scalings for time and amplitude of saturation
Saturation of imprint is predicted by single mode simulations for start-up conditions
Proposed solutions to the imprint problem
Multi-wavelength driveProblem: early-time imprint is still a problem, even at long
Low intensity start-upProblem: imprint still seen at the very lowest irradiances
Ultra-broad bandwidth lasersProblem: not developed
Beam smoothing techniquesProblem: expensive
Indirect-direct drive
Foam.buffered targets
Indirect drive
Problem: unable to control the blow-off plasma, leading to large instability generation. Also - strong shock wave launched into the solid - preheat
Supersonic x-ray preheating of a foam overcoat. Large initialDac can be created, with no blow-off problem and shock generation
Problem: conversation to x-rays
Schematic of the operation of random phase plate arrays
Random phase plates and equivalent focal planes
Arrangement of induced spatial incoherence system
Variation of ISI smoothing with bandwidth
Even ISI irradiation still show plasma non-uniformities
Equivalent plane images of raw and optically smoothed laser beams
Side-on XUV radiographs of premodulated CH foils driven by coherent, ISI/RPP smoothed laser drives
and soft x-rays to bare targets
Thermal smoothing of non-uniform laser deposition in a preformed plasma
Schematic of hybrid x-ray optical drive schemes using foam overcoats
Diffusive electron conduction acts to thermally smooth the non-uniform energy deposition fusion
Soft x-ray imaging system with submicron spatial resolution
Transmission radiograph recorded on a foil target irradiated by an RPP-smoothed laser
Transmission radiograph recorded on an uncoated foam + foil target
Foam buffering mitigates the imprint problem
2D LASNEX simulations show the increased scalelength in the gold-coated foam target
Density contour plots of a plain plastic foil accelerated with coherent radiation
Density contour plots of a CH foil and pre-irradiated foam buffer layer accelerated with coherent
radiation
Simulation of laser imprint seeding and RT growth
Foam overcoatings have been shown to affect imprinting and target stability
Spitzer simulations of foam-buffered targets show higher ablation velocities and reduced RT growth
compared to bare targets