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Published on: December 14, 2017
Demonstration of a Novel Radiochemical Mix Diagnostic for Fusion Implosions at the National Ignition Facility
S A MacLaren1, E L Dewald1, D A Martinez1
1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Abstract:
Mixing of the ablator material into the fuel of an inertial confinement fusion implosion reduces compression and enhances radiative losses, preventing ignition. We describe a novel use of charged-particle radiochemistry to measure the ablator mix in contact with the fusion hot spot. The capsule uses a graded Be-Cr layer to increase the confinement of the hot spot. ^{52}Mn and ^{51}Cr isotopes are collected from the implosion and counted, and the ratio is related to the amount of Cr mixed into the hot spot. Thus, a new diagnostic to determine the degradation due to mix on fusion implosions has been developed.
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