Experiments with polymer coated microspheres irradiated by the Shiva laser system

Polymer coated spherical targets were irradiated by the Shiva laser system in an effort to compress the contained 10 mg/cc DT fuel to super liquid densities. Glass microspheres of 140 micron ID and 5 micron wall thickness with polymer coatings 15 micron to 100 micron thick were irradiated with laser pulses of 4 kilojoules in 200 psec FWHM. Target performance was diagnosed with neutron yield measurements, radiochemistry, Argon line imaging, and X-ray imaging techniques. Ball in plate targets achieved greater implosion symmetry than free standing ball targets. With yields of ten million to one hundred million neutrons, targets reached DT fuel compressions of several times liquid density.