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Experimental Evidence of Kinetic Effects in Indirect-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Hohlraums
L Q Shan1, H B Cai2,3,4, W S Zhang5
1Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China.
Physical Review Letters
|May 26, 2018
Summary
Kinetic shocks in laser-driven hohlraum plasma bubbles were experimentally observed. These shocks efficiently accelerate deuterons, explaining anomalous neutron yields in fusion experiments.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Nuclear Fusion
- High-Energy-Density Physics
Background:
- Laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) relies on hohlraum physics.
- Understanding plasma interactions in hohlraums is crucial for ICF performance.
- Previous models often neglected kinetic effects in plasma interpenetration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide the first experimental evidence of kinetic effects in the interpenetration layer of laser-driven hohlraum plasma bubbles.
- To investigate the role of these kinetic effects on fusion neutron yield and energy spectra.
- To elucidate the dynamics of plasma interactions in vacuum and near-vacuum hohlraums.
Main Methods:
- Experiments conducted at the Shenguang-III prototype laser facility using plastic capsules coated with carbon-deuterium layers.
- Analysis of deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion neutron yield and energy spread as a measure of kinetic effects.
- Comparison of experimental results with hydrodynamic simulations.
Main Results:
- Observed anomalous DD neutron energy spread (∼282 keV) and neutron yield scaling inconsistent with hydrodynamic models.
- Attributed these anomalies to kinetic shocks in the hohlraum-wall-ablator interpenetration region.
- Quantified efficient deuteron acceleration by kinetic shocks (∼28.8 J, 0.45% of laser energy).
Conclusions:
- Kinetic effects, specifically kinetic shocks, play a significant role in hohlraum plasma dynamics.
- These shocks impact fusion performance by accelerating fuel ions.
- The findings offer novel insights into hohlraum physics and ICF energy coupling.
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