The direct-drive, laser-based approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is reviewed from its inception following the demonstration of the first laser to its implementation on the present generation of high-power lasers. The review focuses on the evolution of scientific understanding gained from target-physics experiments in many areas, identifying problems that were demonstrated and the solutions implemented. The review starts with the basic understanding of laser–plasma interactions that was obtained before the declassification of laser-induced compression in the early 1970s and continues with the compression experiments using infrared lasers in the late 1970s that produced thermonuclear neutrons. The problem of suprathermal electrons and the target preheat that they caused, associated with the infrared laser wavelength, led to lasers being built after 1980 to operate at shorter wavelengths, especially 0.35 μm—the third harmonic of the Nd:glass laser—and 0.248 μm (the KrF gas laser). The main physics areas relevant to direct drive are reviewed. The primary absorption mechanism at short wavelengths is classical inverse bremsstrahlung. Nonuniformities imprinted on the target by laser irradiation have been addressed by the development of a number of beam-smoothing techniques and imprint-mitigation strategies. The effects of hydrodynamic instabilities are mitigated by a combination of imprint reduction and target designs that minimize the instability growth rates. Several coronal plasma physics processes are reviewed. The two-plasmon–decay instability, stimulated Brillouin scattering (together with cross-beam energy transfer), and (possibly) stimulated Raman scattering are identified as potential concerns, placing constraints on the laser intensities used in target designs, while other processes (self-focusing and filamentation, the parametric decay instability, and magnetic fields), once considered important, are now of lesser concern for mainline direct-drive target concepts. Filamentation is largely suppressed by beam smoothing. Thermal transport modeling, important to the interpretation of experiments and to target design, has been found to be nonlocal in nature. Advances in shock timing and equation-of-state measurements relevant to direct-drive ICF are reported. Room-temperature implosions have provided an increased understanding of the importance of stability and uniformity. The evolution of cryogenic implosion capabilities, leading to an extensive series carried out on the 60-beam OMEGA laser [Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)], is reviewed together with major advances in cryogenic target formation. A polar-drive concept has been developed that will enable direct-drive–ignition experiments to be performed on the National Ignition Facility [Haynam et al., Appl. Opt. 46(16), 3276 (2007)]. The advantages offered by the alternative approaches of fast ignition and shock ignition and the issues associated with these concepts are described. The lessons learned from target-physics and implosion experiments are taken into account in ignition and high-gain target designs for laser wavelengths of 1/3 μm and 1/4 μm. Substantial advances in direct-drive inertial fusion reactor concepts are reviewed. Overall, the progress in scientific understanding over the past five decades has been enormous, to the point that inertial fusion energy using direct drive shows significant promise as a future environmentally attractive energy source.

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review

Steady‐state planar ablative flow in a laser produced plasma is studied. The calculations relate all steady‐state fluid quantities to only three parameters, the material, absorbed irradiance, and laser wavelength. The fluid is divided into three regions; the subcritical expanding plasma, the steady‐state ablation front, and the accelerated slab. Boundary conditions at the interfaces of these regions are given. If the absorbed irradiance is nonuniform, the nonuniformity in ablation pressure is calculated. Results are compared with experiment and fluid simulation for both uniform and nonuniform illumination.

/pdf/steady-state-planar-ablative-flow-4lqpark5md.pdf

Steady‐state planar ablative flow

A series of experiments focused on high neutron yield has been performed with the Gekko‐XII green laser system [Nucl. Fusion 27, 19 (1987)]. Deuterium–tritium (DT) neutron yield of 1013 and pellet gain of 0.2% have been achieved. Based on the experimental data from more than 70 irradiations, the scaling laws of the neutron yield and the related physical quantities have been studied. Comparison of the experimental neutron yield with that obtained by using a one‐dimensional fluid code has led to the conclusion that most of the neutrons produced in the stagnation phase of the computation are not observed in the experiment because of fuel–pusher mixing, possibly induced by the Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The coupling efficiency and ablation pressure have been calculated using the ion temperature measured experimentally. A coupling efficiency of 5.5% and an ablation pressure of 50 Mbar have been obtained.

Scalings of implosion experiments for high neutron yield

Gold disks have been irradiated with 1.06 μm laser light at intensities between 7 × 1013 and 3 × 1015 W/cm2, and pulse lengths between 200 and 1000 psec. Due to the high Z and long pulse, inverse bremsstrahlung becomes an important absorption mechanism and competes strongly with resonance absorption and stimulated scattering. In addition to measured absorptions, data on the temporal, spatial, angular, and spectral characteristics of the x‐ray emission are presented. Temporally and spectrally resolved back‐reflected light, and polarization‐dependent sidescattered light are detected, providing estimates for the amount of stimulated scattering and of the coronal electron temperature. Inhibited electron thermal conduction and nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium ionization physics play key roles in bringing numerical simulations of these experiments into agreement with all of the above‐mentioned data.

The interaction of 1.06 μm laser radiation with high Z disk targets

The interaction physics and hydrodynamic motion of thin‐foil targets irradiated by long, low‐flux Nd‐laser pulses (3 nsec, 1012–1015 W/cm2) are studied experimentally and compared with theoretical models. Laser light absorption is high (80%–90%) and thin‐foil targets are accelerated up to 107 cm/sec with good (20%) hydrodynamic efficiency in the 1012–1013 W/cm2 range. These results agree with a simple rocket ablation model. Details of thermal heat flow, both axially (related to ablation depth) and laterally (related to beam uniformity requirements), are also presented.

Laser‐plasma interaction and ablative acceleration of thin foils at 1012–1015 W/cm2

The momentum, energy, and velocity characteristics of plasma ablating from planar targets irradiated by long Nd‐laser pulses (4 ns,<1014 W/cm2) are measured and the dependence of ablation parameters upon absorbed irradiance is determined. Large laser spots are used in these experiments so that the results are not sensitive to boundary effects.

Characteristics of ablation plasma from planar, laser‐driven targets

: A large amplitude backscatter instability, consistent with Brillouin, occurs when a prepulse plasma is formed ahead of a high irradiance (10 to the 15th to 10 to the 16th power W/sq cm) Nd-laser pulse. These results indicate that temporally structured laser pulses suggested for laser pellet implosion may also encounter large backscatter. (Author)

Enhanced Backscatter with a Structured Laser Pulse.

Ablative acceleration of thin-foil targets at low laser irradiance (10/sup 12/--10/sup 13/W/cm/sup 2/) is studied experimentally and theoretically. Ablative acceleration of foils up to approx. 10/sup 7/ cm/sec with good hydrodynamic efficiency (20%) has been achieved. These and other results are in good agreement with a simple rocket model.

Ablative Acceleration of Laser-Irradiated Thin-Foil Targets

The transport of energy from a 1.06‐μm, 95‐psec laser pulse at an irradiance of 1015 W/cm2 through a thin layer of polystyrene into an Al substrate was studied by x‐ray, ion, and scattered‐light measurements. The intensities of the following quantities were measured as a function of polystyrene thickness: (1) x‐ray line radiation from the Al backing, (2) bremsstrahlung continuum from 3 to 88 keV, (3) ions of several keV energy, and (4) scattered laser light. The results indicate that a polystyrene thickness of no more than 0.5 μm is sufficient to inhibit substantial heating of the Al substrate.

Laser-Produced-Plasma Energy Transport through Plastic Films,

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

R. Decoste

Author Tools

Chat about Author