Fast ignition by detonation in a hydrodynamic flow

A general concept of fast ignition by a hydrodynamic pulse is developed. The main statements of the concept are formulated having in mind the need to ignite the pre-compressed thermonuclear fuel of the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target. Initially, combustion must be initiated inside the hydrodynamic flow during its action on the target. The conditions for propagating a self-sustaining thermonuclear-detonation wave from an igniter on the thermonuclear fuel of the ICF-target must be provided. For this, the deuterium–tritium (DT) igniter placed in the forward part of the hydrodynamic flow should not only be heated up to thermonuclear temperature, but also compressed to a density close to the density of the ICF-target fuel. It is shown that the detonation of the multilayer conical target (containing DT-ice and a heavy pusher) enables fast ignition of the ICF target fuel of 200–500 g/cm³ density at an implosion velocity of 300–500 km/s.     

微通道板行波选通X射线皮秒分幅相机动态空间分辨率的优化

通过微通道板皮秒脉冲选通动态模型结合近贴聚焦系统的空间调制传递函数理论模型,研究了微通道板X射线分幅相机系统的动态空间分辨能力与屏压,近贴距离,皮秒选通脉冲的幅值与宽度等参数的关系.计算了常用参数下的微通道板行波选通X射线皮秒分幅相机的系统动态空间分辨率,讨论了提高相机动态空间分辨率的措施,提出了优化相机结构参数的方法.     

Numerical investigation of non-local electron transport in laser-produced plasmas

Non-local electron transport in laser-produced plasmas under inertial confinement fusion (ICF) conditions is studied based on Fokker-Planck (FP) and hydrodynamic simulations. A comparison between the classical Spitzer--H\"arm (SH) transport model and non-local transport models has been made. The result shows that among those non-local models the Epperlein and Short (ES) model of heat flux is in reasonable agreement with the FP simulation in overdense region. However, the non-local models are invalid in the hot underdense plasmas. Hydrodynamic simulation is performed with the flux limiting model and the non-local model, separately. The simulation results show that in the underdense region of the laser-produced plasmas the temperature given by the flux limiting model is significantly higher than that given with the non-local model.     

Fabrication of polystyrene hollow microspheres as laser fusion targets by optimized density-matched emulsion technique and characterization

Inertial confinement fusion, frequently referred to as ICF, inertial fusion, or laser fusion, is a means of producing energy by imploding small hollow microspheres containing thermonuclear fusion fuel. Polymer microspheres, which are used as fuel containers, can be produced by solution-based micro-encapsulation technique better known as density-matched emulsion technique. The specifications of these microspheres are very rigorous, and various aspects of the emulsion hydrodynamics associated with their production are important in controlling the final product. This paper describes about the optimization of various parameters associated with density-matched emulsion method in order to improve the surface smoothness, wall thickness uniformity and sphericity of hollow polymer microspheres. These polymer microshells have been successfully fabricated in our lab, with 3–30 μm wall thickness and 50–1600 μm diameters. The sphericity and wall thickness uniformity are better than 99%. Elimination of vacuoles and high yield rate has been achieved by adopting the step-wise heating of W₁/O/W₂ emulsion for solvent removal.     

小孔等离子体运动实验方法

在间接驱动惯性约束聚变的黑腔中,辐射烧蚀的高Z等离子体的流体力学运动过程对激光注入黑腔的效率、辐射场均匀性和通过诊断口的黑腔辐射温度诊断都有显著影响。为研究诊断口在黑腔辐射场中的等离子体缩口过程,用激光产生X光辐射加热低Z泡沫填充的金黑腔诊断口,以激光辐照钛平面靶产生的2～5 keV高能段窄能区X光作为背光源,用X光分幅相机获得了源靶和小孔靶两种靶型的小孔等离子体运动过程图像,研究了X光烧蚀的小孔等离子体的流体力学运动过程,探索了定量测量小孔等离子体面密度的空间分布与时间演化过程的实验诊断方法,初步给出小孔等离子体的面密度。     

受激散射过程理论模型的发展与应用

在激光间接驱动的惯性约束聚变（ICF）中,高强度激光与低密度等离子体发生相互作用,会激发两种受激散射过程:受激布里渊散射和受激拉曼散射。它们会损失激光能量、破坏辐射场对称性、产生超热电子,从而危害聚变点火过程。因此,理解受激散射的物理过程并找到抑制其发展的有效方法,是ICF研究中重点关注的问题。介绍了中国激光聚变研究团队为研究受激散射过程而发展的多个理论模型,以及这些模型在实验数据分析中的具体应用。这些理论模型与实验研究一起,为提升受激散射过程的物理理解发挥了重要作用。     

Experiments and analysis of gold disk targets irradiated by smoothing beams of Xingguang II facilities with 350 nm wavelength

Gold disk targets were irradiated using focusing and beam smoothing methods on Xingguang (XG-II) laser facilities with 350 nm wavelength, 0.6 ns pulse width and 20-80 Joules energies. Laser absorption, light scattering and X-ray conversion were experimentally investigated. The experimental results showed that laser absorption and scattered light were about 90% and 10%, respectively, under focusing irradiation, but the laser absorption increased 5%-10% and the scattered light about 1% under the condition of beam smoothing. Compared with the case of focusing irradiation, the laser absorption was effectively improved and the scattered light remarkably dropped under uniform irradiation; then due to the decrease in laser intensity, X-ray conversion increased. This is highly advantageous to the inertial confinement fusion. However, X-ray conversion mechanism basically did not change and X-ray conversion efficiency under beam smoothing and focusing irradiation was basically the same.     

Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion research at the laboratory for laser energetics

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is expected to demonstrate high gain on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the next decade and is a leading candidate for inertial fusion energy production. The demonstration of high areal densities in hydrodynamically scaled cryogenic DT or D₂ implosions with neutron yields that are a significant fraction of the “clean” 1-D predictions will validate the ignition-equivalent direct-drive target performance on the OMEGA laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). This paper highlights the recent experimental and theoretical progress leading toward achieving this validation in the next few years. The NIF will initially be configured for X-ray drive and with no beams placed at the target equator to provide a symmetric irradiation of a direct-drive capsule. LLE is developing the “polar-direct-drive” (PDD) approach that repoints beams toward the target equator. Initial 2-D simulations have shown ignition. A unique “Saturn-like” plastic ring around the equator refracts the laser light incident near the equator toward the target, improving the drive uniformity. LLE is currently constructing the multibeam, 2.6-kJ/beam, petawatt laser system OMEGA EP. Integrated fast-ignition experiments, combining the OMEGA EP and OMEGA Laser Systems, will begin in FY08.     

双示踪元素X射线能谱诊断激光等离子体电子温度

在“星光Ⅱ”激光装置上对Mg/Al混合材料平面靶和Mg/Al示踪层金盘靶进行三倍频激光打靶实验,用平面晶体谱仪测量靶材料发射的X射线能谱,获取了示踪离子谱线实验数据.采用多组态Dirac-Fock方法计算所需原子参数,并在局域热动平衡条件下建立了双示踪离子谱线强度比随电子温度变化关系.在此基础上由双示踪元素等电子谱线法确定了Mg/Al混合材料平面靶及金盘靶激光等离子体的电子温度 关键词： 电子温度 激光等离子体 X射线能谱     

时域延时多脉冲叠加平滑过程的分析

 为满足惯性约束聚变对ns级可整形激光脉冲的独特要求,提出了一种将多脉冲延迟堆积实现脉冲平滑和灵活整形的方案。这种方案基于多光束耦合器与压电陶瓷结合技术,采用光纤作为传输介质,可以精确控制相邻脉冲延时。详细分析和讨论了时延多脉冲叠加原理和叠加技术,给出了脉冲堆积时满足平滑要求的延迟时间(约为堆积所用高斯脉冲束腰宽度)和相邻脉冲间延时相位差所需的控制精度。     

Methods for Modifications of Harmonic Spectra from Laser-Produced Plasmas

We review the studies of the modifications of harmonic spectra from laser-produced plasmas. The substantial spectral broadening and blue shift of the harmonics generating in the laser plasma during transformation of the spectrum of the laser radiation formed the filaments upon passage of femtosecond pulses through the argon gas is analyzed. We also discuss the studies of harmonic spectra variations that occur as a result of the passage of the laser pulses through the carbon- and metal-containing plasmas at the variable density of ablated species and intensity of driving pulse. To show other type of modulation of harmonic emission spectra, the plasmas containing the small molecules of silver produced during ablation of the bulk silver and silver nanoparticles at the conditions suitable for efficient harmonic generation of the ultrashort pulses propagating through the laser-produced plasmas were analyzed. The time-of-flight mass-spectroscopy studies of plasmas confirmed the presence of these species in plasmas.     

Powerful thermonuclear neutron source based on laser excitation of hydrothermal dissipation in a volume-structured medium

An efficient method is proposed for generating thermonuclear neutrons by irradiating with a laser pulse a volume-structured material of subcritical density, consisting of a series of thin layers of condensed matter separated by interlayers of low-density matter (or a vacuum gap). The plasma ions are heated up to thermonuclear temperatures much higher than the electron temperature by hydrothermal dissipation of the energy of the laser radiation, as a wave of thermal explosions of the layers propagates along the laser beam axis, followed by collisions of plasma counterflows with conversion of the kinetic energy into thermal energy of ions. Different variants of the targets and experimental conditions are discussed in order to demonstrate the proposed method of neutron generation. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 8, 521–526 (25 October 1997)     

镁铝类氢类氦类锂离子双电子复合速率研究

 镁铝类氢类氦类锂离子经中间双激发态进行的双电子复合过程在用双示踪元素谱线强度比研究ICF电子温度中占有很重要的地位。计算了双电子复合经不同Rydberg态跃迁通道的复合速率系数，并给出不同离化度的总的双电子复合速率系数的变化规律，比较了它们在不同电子温度和不同跃迁通道的异同，对研究X射线激光、等离子体温度诊断等诸多应用领域提供了有价值的原子数据。     

X射线相衬成像应用于惯性约束核聚变多层球壳靶丸检测

随着惯性约束核聚变(ICF)研究的逐步深入,尤其是氘氚(DT)燃料层球壳梯度掺杂的广泛应用,对轻物质界面的诊断需求日益增长.在北京同步辐射形貌成像站的微米CT机上利用类同轴相衬成像方法获取了三层球壳靶丸的相衬图像,最佳空间分辨率达到了2μupm,衬度达到12%;通过分析边缘增强函数和衬度传递函数之间的关系,总结出一套完整的类同轴相衬成像方法,同时将相衬成像结果与吸收成像结果对比.实验结果表明,X射线相衬成像在轻物质界面的分辨中具有明显的优势,能够广泛应用于ICF研究、医学断层扫描CT装置和生物结构等前沿科学领域.     

The first target experiments on the National Ignition Facility

A first set of shock timing, laser-plasma interaction, hohlraum energetics and hydrodynamic experiments have been performed using the first 4 beams of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in support of indirect drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density Physics (HEDP). In parallel, a robust set of optical and X-ray spectrometers, interferometer, calorimeters and imagers have been activated. The experiments have been undertaken with laser powers and energies of up to 8 TW and 17 kJ in flattop and shaped 1–9 ns pulses focused with various beam smoothing options. The experiments have demonstrated excellent agreement between measured and predicted laser-target coupling in foils and hohlraums, even when extended to a longer pulse regime unattainable at previous laser facilities, validated the predicted effects of beam smoothing on intense laser beam propagation in long scale-length plasmas and begun to test 3D codes by extending the study of laser driven hydrodynamic jets to 3D geometries.     

ICF微球壳层掺溴含量的XRF表征

通过EC法与FP法的混合定量分析方法,建立了用于微球壳层掺杂元素含量测量的校准模型;基于对微球直径、PS、PVA层厚度对分析元素荧光强度影响的理论计算及XRF实验研究,将该模型用于ICF微球壳层掺溴含量的测量,得到微球壳层掺溴含量较为精确的分析结果,实验结果表明：XRF法测量ICF微球壳层掺溴含量具有较高的精度,在微球涂层厚度大于10 μm时,其测量相对误差在5％左右。     

Au激光等离子体0.3~0.4nm范围X射线发射谱模拟

 应用自旋-轨道劈裂不可分辨跃迁组理论对高离化Au元素激光等离子体0.3~0.4nm范围的X射线发射谱进行了分析和解释。采用单温局域热动平衡近似,对实验谱进行理论模拟,并根据不可分辨跃迁组强度比得到等离子体电子温度。     

烧蚀RT不稳定性X射线分幅诊断研究进展

在神光II装置上,利用高动态范围高性能X射线分幅相机开展了辐射驱动烧蚀RT不稳定性面背光实验研究.在神光II 8路2ns辐射源和第九路Mo背光条件下,利用二维时空照相获得了周期20 μupm、初始扰动1 μupm烧蚀RT样品清晰的增长过程,并通过掺Br比例1.1%样品观测到RT非线性增长的结果.实验为惯性约束聚变(inertial confinement fusion,ICF)RT不稳定性定量表征和数值模拟奠定了良好的基础.     

激光惯性约束聚变中光学汤姆逊散射研究进展

当前,激光惯性约束聚变在越来越接近点火的极端能量密度条件下,实验与模拟的偏离逐渐增大,一个关键原因是缺乏对黑腔等离子体状态及其影响黑腔能量学和内爆对称性的细致研究和判断。光学汤姆逊散射主动式、诊断精确、参数完备的优点,使之成为激光惯性约束聚变黑腔等离子体状态参数精密诊断的标准方法。中国面向激光惯性约束聚变研究的光学汤姆逊散射实验技术的发展与神光系列激光装置的建设和在其上开展的物理实验紧密相关。近年来,四倍频汤姆逊散射实验技术在神光III原型和100 kJ激光装置上相继建立,部分实验结果不仅加深了对激光惯性约束聚变靶物理的认识,还反映了实验条件对汤姆逊散射诊断的影响,促进了实验技术的精密化发展。在未来,还需要进一步发展多支路汤姆逊散射、五倍频汤姆逊散射和超热相干汤姆逊散射等新技术,面向点火黑腔条件,大幅提升激光等离子体状态参数的诊断精度,开展新物理机制的探索和研究,在激光惯性约束聚变和其他高能量密度物理科学领域发挥更重要的作用。     

黑腔中等离子体相互作用的流体力学现象观测

激光间接驱动惯性约束聚变实验中,黑腔内情况复杂,在激光烧蚀和辐射烧蚀等的驱动下,光斑区、冕区、纯辐射烧蚀区、射流区的多种等离子体以不同规律运动.发展了X光双能段窄能带的时间分辨成像方法,用以观测黑腔内多种等离子体的运动情况.在真空黑腔中观测到清晰的射流,分析了射流产生机制及其速度;在黑腔中充气,能有效消除射流和抑制冕区等离子体运动,但两种物质界面处可能会出现流体力学不稳定性等现象,分析了界面处的压力平衡关系和密度陡变情况.