The development and advantages of beryllium capsules for the National Ignition Facility

Capsules with beryllium ablators have long been considered as alternatives to plastic for the National Ignition Facility laser [J. A. Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)]; now the superior performance of beryllium is becoming well substantiated. Beryllium capsules have the advantages of high density, low opacity, high tensile strength, and high thermal conductivity. Three-dimensional (3-D) calculations with the HYDRA code [NTIS Document No. DE-96004569 (M. M. Marinak et al. in UCRL-LR-105821-95-3)] confirm two-dimensional (2-D) LASNEX [G. B. Zimmerman and W. L. Kruer, Comments Plasmas Phys. Controlled Thermonucl. Fusion 2, 51 (1975)] results that particular beryllium capsule designs are several times less sensitive than the CH point design to instability growth from deuterium-tritium (DT) ice roughness. These capsule designs contain more ablator mass and leave some beryllium unablated at ignition. By adjusting the level of copper dopant, the unablated mass can increase or decrease, with a corresponding decrease or increase in sensitivity to perturbations. A plastic capsule with the same ablator mass as the beryllium and leaving the same unablated mass also shows this reduced perturbation sensitivity. Beryllium's low opacity permits the creation of 250 eV capsule designs. Its high tensile strength allows it to contain DT fuel at room temperature. Its high thermal conductivity simplifies cryogenic fielding.