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INERTIAL CONFINEMENT LawrenceLawrence LivermoreLivermore NationalNational LaboratoryLaboratory UCRL-LR-105820-98 ICFICF AnnualAnnual ReportReport 19981998 The Cover: The steelwork of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) rose in 1998. One of the missions of the NIF is to demonstrate thermonuclear fusion in the laboratory. Thermonuclear fusion, of course, is what powers the Sun and other stars; with the NIF, scheduled to be completed in 2003, comes the promise of studying many aspects of fusion currently unattain- able on Earth. On the Web: http://lasers.llnl.gov/lasers/pubs/icfq.html This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor the University of California nor any of their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or ser- vice by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of or the University of California and shall not be used for advertising Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract or product endorsement purposes. WÐ7405ÐEngÐ48. INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION 1998 ICF Annual Report MS Date May 1998 UCRL-LR-105820-98 Printed in the United States of America Available from National Technical Information Service U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Lawrence Livermore Springfield, Virginia 22161 Price codes: printed copy A03, microfiche A01. National Laboratory FOREWORD FOREWORD The 1998 ICF Annual Report provides documentation of the achievements of the LLNL ICF/NIF and High-Energy-Density Experimental Science (HEDES) Program during the fiscal year by the use of two formats: (1) a summary of activity that is a narrative of important results for the fiscal year and (2) a compilation of the articles that previously appeared in the ICF Quarterly Report that year. In 1998, the compila- tion is being mailed separately in electronic format on a CD-ROM. The Quarterly Report and this Annual Report are also on the Web at http://lasers.llnl.gov/lasers/pubs/icfq.html. The underlying theme for LLNLÕs ICF/NIF Program research continues to be defined within DOEÕs Defense Programs Stockpile Stewardship missions and goals. In support of these missions and goals, the ICF/NIF and HEDES Program advances scientific and technology development in major interrelated areas that include laser target theory and design (much of it in support of the stockpile program), target fab- rication, target experiments, and laser and optical science and technology. The ICF program provides the experimental support for much of the core weapons program work on high-energy lasers in support of stockpile stewardship. While in pursuit of its goal of demonstrating thermonuclear fusion ignition and energy gain in the laboratory, the ICF/NIF and HEDES Program provides research and development opportunities in fundamental high-energy-density physics and supports the necessary research base for the possible long-term application of iner- tial fusion energy for civilian power production. ICF technologies continue to have spin-off applications for additional government and industrial use. In addition to these topics, the ICF Annual Report covers non-ICF funded, but related, laser research and development and associated applications. We also provide a short summary of the quarterly activities within Nova laser operations, Beamlet laser operations, and National Ignition Facility laser design. The LLNL ICF/NIF Program is one, albeit the largest, part of the National ICF Program. The program is also executed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the University of Rochester, and the Naval Research Laboratory. General Atomics, Inc., develops and provides many of the targets for the above experimental facilities. Questions and comments relating to the technical content of the journal should be addressed to the ICF Program Office, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551. Jason Carpenter Publication Editor Joseph Kilkenny ICF/NIF and HEDES Program Leader UCRL-LR-105820-98 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the many authors and their co-authors who contributed to this Annual Report. We are grateful for their willingness to take time from busy schedules to write the articles that describe their work. We thank Roy Johnson for his careful classification reviews. We also thank the administrative staff for typing manuscripts, arranging meetings, and offering other invaluable assistance. We thank Technical Information Department (TID) editors Jason Carpenter, Cindy Cassady, Pete Gaughan, Robert Kirvel, Al Miguel, and Jeff Morris for editing and managing the production cycle; designer Pamela Davis and artists Norm Calderon-Zablocki, Treva Carey, Al Garruto, Frank Marquez, Judy Rice, Toney Sanchez, and Frank Uhlig for providing expertise in graphic design, and Sandy Lynn for the cover design. We appreciate the support of Michael Gallardo, the Government Printing Office coordinator, who worked with the Government Printing Office to obtain high- quality printing; and Mary Nijhuis of TIDÕs Publications Services and TIDÕs Print Plant for making sure that each publication was distributed with dispatch. The talents and dedication of the ICF/NIF Program staff make the ICF Annual what it is for so many of its readers. Robert L. Kauffman Assistant DeputyAssociate Director for ICF Joseph Kilkenny ICF/NIF and HEDES Program Leader iv UCRL-LR-105820-98 CONTENTS CONTENTS FOREWORD III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IV INTRODUCTION 1 1.0 IGNITION TARGET PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS THEORY AND MODELING 3 2.0 EXPERIMENTS TO STUDY OPACITY, MIX, EQUATION OF STATE, AND HYDRODYNAMICS 17 3.0 PETAWATT LASER EXPERIMENTS 25 4.0 TARGET DEVELOPMENT, FABRICATION, AND HANDLING 31 5.0 NIF LASER DEVELOPMENT 47 6.0 OPTICS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 61 7.0 ADVANCED DRIVER DEVELOPMENT 73 8.0 SCIENCE USE OF NOVA 79 APPENDIX A: 1998 AWARDS, PATENTS, AND REFEREED PUBLICATIONS A-1 APPENDIX B: 1998 ICF QUARTERLY REPORT ARTICLES BY AUTHOR B-1 APPENDIX C: 1998 ICF QUARTERLY REPORT ARTICLES IN SEQUENCE C-1 APPENDIX D: 1998 PROGRAM UPDATES D-1 APPENDIX E: 1998 PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS E-1 UCRL-LR-105820-98 v INTRODUCTION he narrative section of the 1998 ICF Annual Report is ¥ We continued having a major impact on the Tdivided into sections reflecting major areas of pro- weapons progam: gram activities. There are sections on (1) ignition target Ñ 601/956 Nova shots and 31/60 OMEGA physics experiments theory and modeling, (2) experi- shots were used for the weapons program. ments to study other target-physicsÐrelated issues, Ñ We had a major success in measuring the (3) experiments using the Petawatt high-power laser equation of state of cryogenic hydrogen at modification to Nova, (4) target development fabrication pressures up to 3 Mbar and confirming new and handling, (5) NIF laser development, (6) optics tech- theories and equations of state of other nology development, (7) advanced driver development, materials. and (8) science/university use of Nova. Ñ Radiography with the Petawatt laser 1998 was another outstanding year for the LLNL explored as a possible strategy for the ICF/NIF Program. Advanced Hydro Facility. Ñ Two Weapons Program Excellence Awards. ¥ We met 58 of 60 of our DOE milestones for the ¥ Major broad scientific impact and recognition: program, including: Ñ Continuing university outreach program. Ñ 956 Nova shots, in excess of expectations. Ñ ~90 papers in refereed journals. Ñ Completion of the Beamlet mission, close- Ñ Organized several international conferences. down of the facility, and handover of the Ñ American Physical Society (APS) Division Beamlet laser equipment to Sandia National of Plasma Physics (DPP) Award for Laboratories (SNL). Excellence in Plasma Physics Research. Ñ Completion of the Nova two-beam mission, Ñ Three APS-DPP Fellows. closedown of the facility, and conversion to the Optics Processing and Development Lab. 1998 was the last full year of operation of the Ñ Near completion of the NIF laser technology Nova Facility. The program is now transferring its program, a four-year joint program with the focus from Nova experiments to preparing a pro- Commissariat a lÕEnergie Atomique (CEA). gram on the NIF. Major facility conversion started Ñ Qualification of the OMEGA laser at the in 1998 and will accelerate in 1999. There will be University of Rochester for weapons major organizational changes in 1999. During the physics use. NovaÐNIF hiatus, ongoing experimental effort will Ñ Rapid growth of full-scale KDP and KD*P continue principally on the OMEGA laser at the crystals for switching and frequency con- University of Rochester and on other DOE Defense version in the NIF. Programs facilities (Z, Trident, Nike). Ñ Use of Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) computers for major wave propagation and hydrodynamic codes in support of the ICF/NIF Program. UCRL-LR-105820-98 1 1.0 IGNITION