Implosion Plasma Driven Fusion Pellet of Inertial Confinement(A Short Memorandum)

The implosion plasma drive fusion pellet of inertial confinement is a concept related to nuclear fusion,a process in which atomic nuclei combine to form heavier nuclei,releasing a large amount of energy in the process.The implosion plasma drive fusion pellet is a potential fuel source for achieving controlled nuclear fusion.ICF(inertial confinement fusion)is a technique used to achieve fusion by compressing a small target containing fusion fuel to extremely high densities and temperatures using lasers or other methods.The implosion plasma drive fusion pellet concept involves using a small pellet of deuterium and tritium(two isotopes of hydrogen)as fusion fuel,and then rapidly heating and compressing it using a pulsed power system.The implosion process creates a high-pressure plasma that ignites the fusion reactions,releasing energy in the form of neutrons and charged particles.The resulting energy can be captured and used for power generation.This technology is still in the experimental stage,and significant research and development is required to make it commercially viable.However,it has the potential to provide a virtually limitless source of clean energy with no greenhouse gas emissions or long-term radioactive waste.Be that as it may,ICF has to get exact control of the implosion process,mitigate insecurities,and create modern materials and advances to resist the extraordinary conditions of the combined response.

Special epoxy silicone adhesive for inertial confinement fusion experiment

The effects of toughener and coupling agent on special epoxy silicone adhesive were discussed by researching the surface morphology characters, thermal properties and shear strength of the adhesive. The results indicate that silicone coupling agent (KH-550) can improve the shear strength of the epoxy silicone adhesive effectively. The mass fraction of the toughener in the epoxy silicone adhesive plays an important role in its properties. When the mass fraction of the toughener is less than 14%, the shear strength of the adhesive is low. When the mass fraction of the toughener is over 33%, thermal properties and shear strength of the adhesive decrease with the increasing of the toughener. The mass fraction of toughener of 25% results in good integral properties of the epoxy silicone adhesive. The morphologic analysis indicates that the micro-phase separation exists in the epoxy molecular chain and the silicone molecular chain of the epoxy silicone adhesive.

Diagnostic technique for measuring fusion reaction rate for inertial confinement fusion experiments at Shen Guang-III prototype laser facility

A study is conducted using a two-dimensional simulation program （Lared-s） with the goal of developing a technique to evaluate the effect of Rayleigh-Taylor growth in a neutron fusion reaction region. Two peaks of fusion reaction rate are simulated by using a two-dimensional simulation program （Lared-s） and confirmed by the experimental results. A neutron temporal diagnostic （NTD） system is developed with a high temporal resolution of - 30 ps at the Shen Guang-Ⅲ （SG-Ⅲ） prototype laser facility in China, to measure the fusion reaction rate history. With the shape of neutron reaction rate curve and the spherical harmonic function in this paper, the degree of Rayleigh-Taylor growth and the main source of the neutron yield in our experiment can be estimated qualitatively. This technique, including the diagnostic system and the simulation program, may provide important information for obtaining a higher neutron yield in implosion experiments of inertial confinement fusion.

Optimization of laser illumination configuration for directly driven inertial confinement fusion

Optimum laser configurations are presented to achieve high illumination uniformity with directly driven inertial confinement fusion targets.Assuming axisymmetric absorption pattern of individual laser beams,theoretical models are reviewed in terms of the number of laser beams,system imperfection,and laser beam patterns.Utilizing a self-organizing system of charged particles on a sphere,a simple numerical model is provided to give an optimal configuration for an arbitrary number of laser beams.As a result,such new configurations as“M48”and“M60”are found to show substantially higher illumination uniformity than any other existing direct drive systems.A new polar direct-drive scheme is proposed with the laser axes keeping off the target center,which can be applied to laser configurations designed for indirectly driven inertial fusion.

Study of the asymmetry of hot-spot self-emission imaging of inertial confinement fusion implosion driven by high-power laser facilities

Implosion asymmetry is a crucial problem quenching ignition in the field of inertial confinement fusion.A forward-calculation method based on 1D and 2D hydrodynamic simulations has been developed to generate and study the x-ray images of hot-spot self-emission,indicating asymmetry integrated over the entire drive pulse.It is shown that the x-ray imaging photon energy should be higher to avoid the influence of the remaining shell.The contour level(percentage of the maximum emission intensity)and spatial resolution should be as low as possible,optimally less than 20%and 3μm,for characterization of higher-mode signatures such as Ps-P12 by x-ray self-emission images.On the contrary,signatures of lower-mode such as P2 remain clear at all contour levels and spatial resolutions.These key results can help determine the optimal diagnostics,laser,and target parameters for implosion experiments.Recent typical hot-spot asymmetry measurements and applications on the Shenguang 100 kJ class laser facility are also reported.

An improved deconvolution method for X-ray coded imaging in inertial confinement fusion

In inertial confinement fusion （ICF）, X-ray coded imaging is considered as the most potential means to diagnose the compressed core. The traditional Richardson-Lucy （RL） method has a strong ability to deblur the image where the noise follows the Poisson distribution. However, it always suffers from over-fitting and noise amplification, especially when the signal-to-noise ratio of image is relatively low. In this paper, we propose an improved deconvolution method for X-ray coded imaging. We model the image data as a set of independent Gaussian distributions and derive the iterative solution with a maximum-likelihood scheme. The experimental results on X-ray coded imaging data demonstrate that this method is superior to the RL method in terms of anti-overfitting and noise suppression.

Effects of Atomic Mixing in Inertial Confinement Fusion by Multifluid Interpenetration Mix Model

The effects of atomic-level rnixing are systemically investigated in a multifluid interpenetration mix model ,and results are compared with the single-fluid model＇s simulations and experimental data. It is shown that increasing the model free parameter α, shock Mach number, and the initial density discontinuity makes the mix length and fraction of mixing particle increase, resulting in the lower shock temperatures compared with the results of single-fluid model without mixing. Recent high-compressibility direct-drive spherical implosions on OMEGA are simulated by the interpenetration mix modal. The calculations with atomic mixing between fuel and shell match quite well with the observations. Without considering any mixing, the calculated neutron yields and ion temperatures are overpredicted; while inclusion of the interpenetration mix model with the adjustable parameter α could fit the simulated neutron yields and ion temperatures well with experimental data.

Progress in particle-beam-driven inertial fusion research: Activities in Japan

Research activities in Japan relevant to particle beam inertial fusion are briefly reviewed.These activities can be ascended to the 1980s.During the past three decades,significant progress in particle beam fusion,pulsed power systems,accelerator schemes for intense beams,target physics,and high-energy-density physics research has been made by a number of research groups at universities and accelerator facilities in Japan.High-flux ions have been extracted from laser ablation plasmas.Controllability of the ion velocity distribution in the plasma by an axial magnetic and/or electric field has realized a stable high-flux low-emittance beam injector.Beam dynamics have been studied both theoretically and experimentally.The efforts have been concentrated on the beam behavior during the final compression stage of intense beam accelerators.A novel accelerator scheme based on a repetitive induction modulator has been proposed as a cost-effective particle-beam driver scheme.Beam-plasma interaction and pulse-powered plasma experiments have been investigated as relevant studies of particle beam inertial fusion.An irradiation method to mitigate the instability in imploding target has been proposed using oscillating heavy-ion beams.The new irradiation method has reopened the exploration of direct drive scheme of particle beam fusion.

Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider for Heavy Ion Fusion

Heavy Ion Fusion makes use of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Lab and the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland for Inertial Confinement Fusion. Two Storage Rings, which may or may not initially be needed, added to each of the Colliders increases the intensity of the Heavy Ion Beams making it comparable to the Total Energy delivered to the DT target by the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore Lab. The basic Physics involved gives Heavy Ion Fusion an advantage over Laser Fusion because heavy ions have greater penetration power than photons. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider can be used as a Prototype Heavy Ion Fusion Reactor for the Large Hadron Collider.

Inertial confinement fusion ignition achieved at the National Ignition Facility–an editorial

On behalf of all at High Power Laser Science and Engineering we would like to congratulate the team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory(LLNL)on demonstrating fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility.This major scientific achievement was realized on the 5 December 2022 at the LLNL and announced at a press briefing on the 13 December 2022 by the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.This was a historic milestone and the culmination of decades of effort.

Multibeam laser-plasma interaction at the Gekko XII laser facility in conditions relevant for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Laser–plasma interaction and hot electrons have been characterized in detail in laser irradiation conditions relevant for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion.The experiment was carried out at the Gekko XII laser facility in multibeam planar target geometry at an intensity of approximately 3×10^(15)W/cm^(2).Experimental data suggest that high-energy electrons,with temperatures of 20–50 keV and conversion efficiencies ofη<1%,were mainly produced by the damping of electron plasma waves driven by two-plasmon decay(TPD).Stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)is observed in a near-threshold growth regime,producing a reflectivity of approximately 0.01%,and is well described by an analytical model accounting for the convective growth in independent speckles.The experiment reveals that both TPD and SRS are collectively driven by multiple beams,resulting in a more vigorous growth than that driven by single-beam laser intensity.

ICF装置靶场关键材料的辐照效应研究进展

从惯性约束聚变(ICF)装置中靶场关键材料易受辐照损伤、从而限制材料使用寿命和装置稳定运行的现实问题出发,总结归纳了有关不锈钢、铝合金、终端光学组件三大类靶场关键材料的辐照效应研究进展,详细介绍了靶室内高能中子束、γ射线、X射线等高能粒子和射线引起靶室第一壁材料出现烧蚀、中子活化等辐照损伤问题,以及靶室环境对关键材料的影响和防护处理。此外,还阐述了打靶试验中所产生的复杂辐射环境、基频与三倍频激光对靠近靶室的终端光学组件所产生的各类辐照损伤现象和相关作用机理。

基于高精度3D打印工艺的ICF调制靶

惯性约束聚变(ICF)中的瑞利-泰勒不稳定性(RTI)研究需要基于多种结构的调制靶,针对目前调制靶制备的工艺问题,采用双光子3D打印工艺制备了平面调制、平面复合调制及球壳型调制三种典型结构的调制靶,靶材料为光敏树脂(95%:C_(23)H_(38)N_(2)O_(8),5%:C_(4)H_(6)O_(2))。采用激光共聚焦显微成像分析了三种调制靶的实际结构参数,三种靶型的实测形貌及其参数与设计结构及参数具有良好匹配度。为进一步验证双光子3D打印新型工艺制备调制靶的可行性,实验团队在“神光Ⅱ”高功率激光实验装置上进行了纳秒激光打靶实验,结果显示靶表面的调制在激光直接驱动下受RTI的作用随时间呈增长趋势,初始峰谷值为4μm的调制在激光驱动2.5 ns后形成了长度达100μm的高密度射流,表明基于高精度3D打印工艺制备结构复杂的调制靶用于RTI研究具有较高可行性。

激光间接驱动柱几何内界面减速段的流体力学不稳定性实验研究

研究收缩几何下的流体力学不稳定性增长对于惯性约束聚变靶丸降低流体力学不稳定性增长和混合的优化设计具有重要的作用。在神光100 kJ激光装置上开展了辐射驱动柱几何内界面减速段的流体力学不稳定性实验,观测到模耦合现象,以及收缩几何独有的Bell-Plesset(BP)效应,理论预估BP效应导致的扰动增长与实验结果基本一致。实验中观察到驱动不对称性引入的2阶模扰动,M2不对称性约为11%,提出了通过增加黑腔长度来优化驱动不对称性的方法。柱几何流体力学不稳定性增长研究将有助于理解收缩几何效应在高能量密度条件下对流体力学不稳定性增长的影响,为优化惯性约束聚变靶丸设计提供帮助。

小尺度靶丸冲击波调控的冲击波测量技术优化及应用

激光聚变研究中,冲击波调控技术是实现靶丸压缩过程的熵增调谐,保证高性能内爆的关键实验技术.本文在十万焦耳激光装置上首次实现了0.375 mm半径小尺度内爆靶丸下双台阶辐射驱动的高精度冲击波调控实验测量.针对小靶丸下任意反射面速度干涉仪(VISAR)诊断有效反射区域不足的问题,通过建立的球形反射面VISAR图像光强的理论计算方法,提出了利用锁孔(keyhole)锥反射效应提升VISAR诊断空间区域的实验技术路线,使得小靶丸尺度下有效VISAR数据区域提升了近3倍.在实验中首次获得了整形内爆实验条件下低温液氘靶的冲击波测量实验数据,实现了高精度冲击波调控实验测量.实验发现,小时空尺度内爆设计条件下,由于反射冲击波的作用,激光参数的较小偏差都会对冲击波追赶后的传输行为产生显著影响,揭示了我国当前小靶丸尺度下高性能整形内爆物理过程中冲击波传输的多因素敏感性,以及冲击波调控实验对于内爆设计验证的重要性.本文提出的小靶丸冲击波调控实验技术,不仅为我国十万焦耳激光装置上整形脉冲下熵增调谐实验的开展提供了技术基础,也对基于球汇聚压缩的超高压物理研究具有重要意义.

超快四分幅CMOS电路设计与仿真

用于惯性约束聚变诊断的传统微通道板(microchannel plate,MCP)选通分幅相机存在体积大、非单视线成像等问题,可用时间分辨率为百皮秒的CMOS芯片代替MCP变像管,将分幅相机芯片化并实现单视线成像。提出了具有8×8×4像素阵列的单视线四分幅超快成像CMOS电路,并对其性能进行了模拟仿真。基于0.18μm标准CMOS工艺、5晶体管(5T)像素单元结构,设计了四分幅像素单元电路、电压控制延迟器、时钟树以及行列选通电路等。对CMOS电路像素信号进行选通输出并分析,仿真结果表明该CMOS电路可实现单次四分幅成像,每幅图像的时间分辨率为100 ps,相邻两幅图像之间的时间间隔为300 ps,四幅图像像素信号均匀性优于90%。

基于光纤光源的积分球内氘氘冰层红外均化设计

惯性约束聚变实验要求低温靶的冰层均匀性小于1μm。针对高均匀全固态氘氘冰层均化时缺乏β衰变热的问题,提出了基于光纤光源照明的积分球红外光均化方案。采用光线追迹耦合温度场的仿真技术,数值研究了光源位置以及入射角度对低温靶温度场的影响规律。研究结果表明,当红外光源功率为2.25 mW,入射位置Z=-7.3 mm,水平旋转角度为157.5°,冰层平均体加热率为24000 W/m3时,能够使冰层内表面最大温差满足0.1 mK的要求,满足冰层均化所需的温度场要求。本研究为后续进行基于积分球系统的红外均化低温靶制备实验提供了理论指导。

Inertial confinement fusion and prospects for power production

As our understanding of the environmental impact of fossil fuel based energy production increases, it is becoming clear that the world needs a new energy solution to meet the challenges of the future. A transformation is required in the energy market to meet the need for low carbon, sustainable, affordable generation matched with security of supply. In the short term, an increasing contribution from renewable sources may provide a solution in some locations. In the longer term,low carbon, sustainable solutions must be developed to meet base load energy demand, if the world is to avoid an ever increasing energy gap and the attendant political instabilities. Laser-driven inertial fusion energy(IFE) may offer such a solution.

Temperature dependence of parametric instabilities in the context of the shock-ignition approach to inertial confinement fusion

The role of the coronal electron plasma temperature for shock-ignition conditions is analysed with respect to the dominant parametric processes: stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmon decay(TPD), Langmuir decay instability(LDI) and cavitation. TPD instability and cavitation are sensitive to the electron temperature. At the same time the reflectivity and high-energy electron production are strongly affected. For low plasma temperatures the LDI plays a dominant role in the TPD saturation. An understanding of laser–plasma interaction in the context of shock ignition is an important issue due to the localization of energy deposition by collective effects and hot electron production.This in turn can have consequences for the compression phase and the resulting gain factor of the implosion phase.

Production of thick-walled hollow glass microspheres for inertial confinement fusion targets by sol-gel technology

To fabricate thick-walled hollow glass microspheres （HGMs） for inertial confinement fusion （ICF） targets by sol-gel technology, we investigated the effects of glass composition, blowing agent, refining temperature, pressure and composition of furnace atmosphere on the wall thickness of HGMs by numerical simulation and experiments. The results showed that the residence times of the thick-walled HGMs in the encapsulating and refining phases decreased with the increase of wall thickness of HGMs. As a response to this challenge, glass composition must be optimized with the object of high surface tension and low viscosity at refining temperature, and the blowing agents with high decomposition temperature should be used, furthermore the concentration of blowing agents in gel particles must also be precisely controlled. The higher volume fraction of argon gas in the furnace atmosphere, the thicker the wall of HGMs. Due to the limited operating range of furnace atmosphere pressure, changing furnace atmosphere pressure could not significantly increase the wall thickness of HGMs. Although increasing refin- ing temperature can improve the yield of high quality HGMs, a higher furnace atmosphere temperature may lead to a decrease in the wall thickness of HGMs. When the volume fraction of argon gas in the furnace atmosphere ranged from 80% to 95%, the furnace atmosphere pressure ranged from 1.0×l0^5 Pa to 1.25×105 Pa, and the refining temperature ranged from 1600℃ to 1800℃, we produced thick-walled （5-10 ktrn） HGMs with good sphericity, wall thickness uniformity and surface finish. However, the yield of high quality HGMs needs to be further improved. The compressive strength, tensile strength and permeation coefficient to deuterium gas of thick-walled HGMs at ambient temperature decreased with increase of the wall thickness.