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Deng DC, Wu HC. Compression and acceleration of ions by ultrashort, ultraintense azimuthally polarized light. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:065211. [PMID: 39020977 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.065211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
An efficient plasma compression scheme using azimuthally polarized light is proposed. Azimuthally polarized light possesses a donutlike intensity pattern, enabling it to compress and accelerate ions toward the optical axis across a wide range of parameters. When the light intensity reaches the relativistic regime of 10^{18}W/cm^{2}, and the plasma density is below the critical density, protons can be compressed and accelerated by the toroidal soliton formed by the light. The expansion process of the soliton can be well described by the snowplow model. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that within the soliton regime, despite the ion density exceeding ten times the critical density, the ions' energy is insufficient for efficient neutron production. When the light intensity increases to 10^{22}W/cm^{2}, and the plasma density reaches several tens of times the critical density, deuterium ions can be compressed to thousands of times the critical density and simultaneously accelerated to the MeV level by tightly focused azimuthally polarized light during the hole-boring process. This process is far more dramatic compared to the soliton regime and can produce up to 10^{4} neutrons in a few light cycles. Moreover, in the subsequent beam-target stage, neutron yield is estimated to exceed 10^{8}. Finally, we present a comparison with the results obtained using a radially polarized light to examine the influence of light polarization.
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Xu W, Gu Q, Zhu F, Chen Q, Liu Y, Li J, Liu M, Yi Y. Effect of polymer molecular structure on the quality of thin‐walled hollow microspheres for inertial confinement fusion. POLYM ENG SCI 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pen.26223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Xu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Southwest University of Science and Technology Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Qianqian Gu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Fanghua Zhu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyang Liu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Li
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Meifang Liu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Yi
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Southwest University of Science and Technology Mianyang People's Republic of China
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Hohenberger M, Meezan NB, Riedel WM, Kabadi N, Forrest CJ, Aghaian L, Cappelli MA, Farrell M, Glenzer SH, Heeter B, Heredia R, Landen OL, Mackinnon AJ, Petrasso R, Shuldberg CM, Treffert F, Hsing WW. Developing "inverted-corona" fusion targets as high-fluence neutron sources. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:033544. [PMID: 33819995 DOI: 10.1063/5.0040877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present experimental studies of inverted-corona targets as neutron sources at the OMEGA Laser Facility and the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Laser beams are directed onto the inner walls of a capsule via laser-entrance holes (LEHs), heating the target interior to fusion conditions. The fusion fuel is provided either as a wall liner, e.g., deuterated plastic (CD), or as a gas fill, e.g., D2 gas. Such targets are robust to low-mode drive asymmetries, allowing for single-sided laser drive. On OMEGA, 1.8-mm-diameter targets with either a 10-μm CD liner or up to 2 atm of D2-gas fill were driven with up to 18 kJ of laser energy in a 1-ns square pulse. Neutron yields of up to 1.5 × 1010 generally followed expected trends with fill pressure or laser energy, although the data imply some mix of the CH wall into the fusion fuel for either design. Comparable performance was observed with single-sided (1x LEH) or double-sided (2x LEH) drive. NIF experiments tested the platform at scaled up dimensions and energies, combining a 15-μm CD liner and a 3-atm D2-gas fill in a 4.5-mm diameter target, laser-driven with up to 330 kJ. Neutron yields up to 2.6 × 1012 were measured, exceeding the scaled yield expectation from the OMEGA data. The observed energy scaling on the NIF implies that the neutron production is gas dominated, suggesting a performance boost from using deuterium-tritium (DT) gas. We estimate that neutron yields exceeding 1014 should be readily achievable using a modest laser drive of ∼300 kJ with a DT fill.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hohenberger
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - N B Meezan
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - W M Riedel
- Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - N Kabadi
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - C J Forrest
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - L Aghaian
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Court, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - M A Cappelli
- Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - M Farrell
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Court, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - S H Glenzer
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94309, USA
| | - B Heeter
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - R Heredia
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - O L Landen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - A J Mackinnon
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - R Petrasso
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - C M Shuldberg
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Court, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - F Treffert
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94309, USA
| | - W W Hsing
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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Curtis A, Calvi C, Tinsley J, Hollinger R, Kaymak V, Pukhov A, Wang S, Rockwood A, Wang Y, Shlyaptsev VN, Rocca JJ. Micro-scale fusion in dense relativistic nanowire array plasmas. Nat Commun 2018. [PMID: 29540753 PMCID: PMC5852030 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03445-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear fusion is regularly created in spherical plasma compressions driven by multi-kilojoule pulses from the world's largest lasers. Here we demonstrate a dense fusion environment created by irradiating arrays of deuterated nanostructures with joule-level pulses from a compact ultrafast laser. The irradiation of ordered deuterated polyethylene nanowires arrays with femtosecond pulses of relativistic intensity creates ultra-high energy density plasmas in which deuterons (D) are accelerated up to MeV energies, efficiently driving D-D fusion reactions and ultrafast neutron bursts. We measure up to 2 × 106 fusion neutrons per joule, an increase of about 500 times with respect to flat solid targets, a record yield for joule-level lasers. Moreover, in accordance with simulation predictions, we observe a rapid increase in neutron yield with laser pulse energy. The results will impact nuclear science and high energy density research and can lead to bright ultrafast quasi-monoenergetic neutron point sources for imaging and materials studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alden Curtis
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Nevada National Security Site, Las Vegas, NV, 89030, USA
| | - Chase Calvi
- Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - James Tinsley
- Nevada National Security Site, Las Vegas, NV, 89030, USA
| | - Reed Hollinger
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Vural Kaymak
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Pukhov
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Shoujun Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Alex Rockwood
- Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Vyacheslav N Shlyaptsev
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Jorge J Rocca
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. .,Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
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