Inertial-Fusion Program Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos
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LA-90B6-PR Progress Report UC-21 Issued: May 1982 LA—9086-PR DE82 019495 Inertial-Fusion Program January—December 1980 The Inertial Fusion Program Staff Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 CONTENTS ACRONYMS vii ABSTRACT 1 SUMMARY 2 Introduction 2 Operating CO2 Laser Systems 2 Antares—High Energy Gas Laser Facility 2 Advanced Laser Teshnology 3 Target Experiments 4 Diagnostics Development 4 Laser Fusion Theory and Target Design 5 '- aser Fusion Target Fabrication 5 Heavy-Ion Driver Development 6 Systems and Applications Studies of Inertia! Fusion 7 I. OPERATING CO2 LASER SYSTEMS 8 Helios Laser System 8 Gemini Laser System 11 II. ANTARES—HIGH ENERGY GAS LASER FACILITY 13 Introduction 13 Optical System 13 Large Optical Components 17 Front-End System 18 Power Amplifier System 19 Energy Storage System 25 Antares Target System 26 Control System 33 III. ADVANCED LASER TECHNOLOGY 38 Studies of Antares and Helios Laser Systems 38 Studies in Nonlinear Media 47 Advanced CO2 Laser Development 60 Advanced Concepts 83 Gigawatt Test Facility 93 References 94 IV. TARGET EXPERIMENTS 99 Introduction 99 Integrated Absorption Experiments on CO2 Laser-Generated Plasmas 99 Lateral Transport of Energy from a Laser-Produced Plasma 102 Virible Harmonic Generation in CO2 Laser Fusion Experiments 103 High-Energy X-Ray Measurements at Helios 105 MULTIFLEX Fast X-Ray Detection System 106 Effect of Hydrogen in CO2 Laser-Induced Plasmas 106 Backscatter and Harmonic Generation Measurements in Helios 114 References 115 V. DIAGNOSTICS DEVELOPMENT 117 Introduction 117 X-Ray Diagnostics 117 Pulsed Calibration of a Proximity-Focused X-Ray Streak Camera !I9 Detector Response Functions for MULTIFLEX 122 A "Thin Lens" Electron Magnetic Spectrometer and an Electron Ray-Tracing Code for Cylindrically Symmetric Fields 126 Siit-Viewing Homogeneous Sphere: Least Squares Fitting of Analytical Expressions to Image Data 129 Reconstruction of X-Ray Emission Profiles of Imploded Targets from Slit Photographs . 130 Optical Plasma Diagnostics 132 Data Processing 139 References 139 VI. LASER FUSION THEORY AND TARGET DESIGN 141 Target Physics 141 Fuel Temperature Determination for ICF Microspheres 144 Supporting Physics 147 Code Development 152 References 168 VII. LASER FUSION TARGET FABRICATION 171 Introduction 171 Target Fabrication 172 Target Characterization 177 Laser Fusion Target Coatings 185 Low-Density Organic Foam and Fibrous Material Development 198 Cryogenic Target Development 202 References 206 VIII. HEAVY-ION DRIVER DEVELOPMENT 208 Introduction 208 Accelerator Development 208 Beam Transport 211 References 212 IX. SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS STUDIES OF INERTIAL FUSION 215 Introduction 215 ICF System Integration 215 Inertia] Fusion Commercial Applications Systems Code Development 219 Reactor Studies 220 Heat Transfer from Graphite Liners to Coolants 227 CO2 Laser Capital Costs and Efficiencies for ICF Commercial Applications 229 References 236 X. RESOURCES, FACILITIES, AND OPERATIONAL SAFETY 237 Manpower Distribution 237 Facilities 237 Operational Safety 237 XI. PATENTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PRESENTATIONS 238 Patents 238 Publications 238 Presentations 240 ACRONYMS ASE amplified spontaneous emission BSS Beam Simultaneity System CCD charge-coupled diode CTSS Cray Time Sharing System CVD chemical vapor deposition DFP drill, fill, and plug DFWM degenerate four-wave mixing DPH diamond pyramid hardness EGTF Electron-Gun Test Facility EMI electromagnetic interference FCT flux-corrected transport FFT fast Fourier transform FIF fast isothermal freezing FOM figure of merit GMB glass microballoon goL gain-length product GWTF Gigawatt Test Facility HCC Harshaw Chemical Co. HEGLF High Energy Gas Laser Facility HIF heavy-ion fusion ICCG Incomplete Cholesky Conjugate Gradient ICF Inertia! Confinement Fusion LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LOM lowest order mode LPP low-pressure plasma LTSG laser-triggered spark gap MCNP Monte Carlo code for neutron and photon transport MCP microchannel plate MHD magnetohydrodynamic MI machine interface NBS National Bureau of Standards NRC National Research Council OAS Optical Assembly Shop OEL Optical Evaluation Laboratory OTB optical test bed PAM power amplifier module PDM Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. PIC particle-in-cell PVD Dhvsical vaoor dsDosition VII RFQ radio-frequency quadrupole RIO reinjection oscillator sec subsystem-control computers S/D sorpticn/difTusion SEM scanning electron micrograph SNL Sandia National Laboratories SPDT single-point diamond-turning (ed) TDR time-domain reflectometry TEA transversely excited atmospheric pressure TPA triple-pass amplifier TVS target vacuum system VPP vapor phase pyrolysis XRD x-ray diode YIG yttrium-ion-garnet INERTIAL FUSION PROGRAM January—December 1980 by The Inertial Fusion Program Staff ABSTRACT Our progress in developing high-energy short-pulse carbon-dioxide laser systems for fusion research is described. Because of increased efficiency and reliability, Helios, our eight-beam system, was fired 986 times, achieving on-target energies exceeding 9 kJ and pulse lengths as short as 600 ps. The Laboratory's two-beam Gemini system was fired 5I! times; 479 of these shots produced the desired energy on target without measurable prepulse or prelaser energy. The Antares effort, which was redirected from a 100-kJ, six-beam system to a 40-kJ, two-beam design to have an experimental facility available 2 years earlier than originally planned, made significant progress. This report summarizes our research and development effort in support of the Inertial Confinement Fusion program, including absorption measurements with an integrating sphere, generation of high CO2-laser harmonics in the backscattered light from laser plasmas, and the effects of hydrogen target contamination on the hot-electron temperature and transport. The development of new diagnostics is outlined and measurements taken with a proximity-focused x-ray streak camera are presented. High gain in phase conjugation using germanium was demonstrated, data were obtained on retropulse isolation by plasmas generated from metal shutters, damage thresholds for copper mirrors at high fluences were characterized, and phase conjugation in the ultraviolet was demonstrated. Significant progress in the characterization of targets, new techniques in target coating, and important advances in the development of low- density, smaU-cell-size plastic foams that permit highly accurate machining to any desired shape are presented. The results of various fusion reactor system studies are summarized. SUMMARY (Inertial Fusion Staff) INTRODUCTION • successful demonstration of 4-GHz data-channel recording in the control-room area; and The goal of the Inertial Fusion Program at the Los • continued development of a distributed computer- Alamos National Laboratory is to determine the require¬ based control and data-processing system. ments for scientific breakeven in targets driven by laser fusion. Achieving this goal will allow us to appraise the feasibility of this technique for commercial power gen¬ Gemini eration. This challenging scientific goal requires a broadly based program that includes the development of Gemini was used mainly in support of target experi¬ high-power lasers, the design and analysis of suitable ments. These experiments required 5il shots, 479 of targets, experiments to provide input for theoretical which produced the desired energy on target without modeling, the development of appropriate diagnostics, measurable prepulse or prelase energy. Noteworthy and conceptual studies for the eventual commercial use accomplishments include of inertial fusion. • completion of 13 different target experiments. During this reporting period, the main sequence ex¬ • assembly of the new front-end screen room. periments were carried out by two high-energy short- • assembly of a single-target insertion mechanism pulse CO2 lasers. Helios and Gemini. Antares, which will and verification of its target-alignment capability. come on-line in FY 1983, will provide higher energies. • testing of a triple-switchout system for the new front end. (The system produces 500 J per beam with a pulse width of 800 ps.) OPERATING CO2 LASER SYSTEMS • continued upgrading of the control system. • initiation of machine modification to increase Helios energy on target • installation of more reliable gridded polyimide Helios, our eight-beam CO2 laser, was operated with windows on the electron gun. ever-increasing efficiency and reliability in support of our • completion of new pulse-cutting front end. Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program. The system was fired 986 times: 468 times in support of target experiments and 518 times for system development We ANTARES—HIGH ENERGY GAS LASER achieved on-target energies greater than 9 kJ with pulse FACILITY lengths as short as 600 ps. Other accomplishments include Redirection of Program and General Progress • completion of a power amplifier modification that increased energy output, offered greater protection The Antares program was redirected in 1979 from from retropulse damage, decreased puise width, building a 100-kJ, six-beam machine to building a 40-kJ. simplified maintenance, and improved beam two-beam machine. All design changes resulting from quality; this redirection have been implemented. The major • redesign of the forward beam-diagnostics area; changes were in the target vacuum system (TVS), space • design and implementation of a system to provide frame, and beam-tube configuration. multiple 4-GHz data-channel