Neutron Emission from Direct-Drive Cylindrical Implosions
Abstract
Cylindrical implosions are not as efficient in compressing fuel to fusion conditions as spherical systems. They do provide an excellent diagnostic tool for studies in convergent hydrodynamics. Using 60 mg/cc C_0.5D_0.37H_0.13 polystyrene foam inside CH-ablator cylinders imploded by direct drive using the OMEGA Laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics of the University of Rochester, we expect fusion neutron production from the axially stagnating shock which reaches keV ion temperature and few-times-solid density. The 1-D radiation hydrodynamics simulation code HYADES is used to model in cylindrical geometry these direct-drive ICF implosions and to predict the neutron output from different conditions. 1-D-clean neutron yields from implosions with 2.5-nsec linear ramp laser pulse are predicted to be approximately 10^8 neutrons, ignoring the effects of mix or 2-D axial motion that will reduce observed yields. Observations of neutrons from experiments planned for late July, 1998 will also be presented. This work was performed under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Energy by the Los Alamos National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-36.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998APS..DPP.G4P34S