In this paper we review the design and development of a 100 J, 10 Hz nanosecond pulsed laser, codenamed DiPOLE100X, being built at the Central Laser Facility (CLF). This 1 kW average power diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) is based on a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) design, which includes two cryogenic gas cooled amplifier stages based on DiPOLE multi-slab ceramic Yb:YAG amplifier technology developed at the CLF. The laser will produce pulses between 2 and 15 ns in duration with precise, arbitrarily selectable shapes, at pulse repetition rates up to 10 Hz, allowing real-time shape optimization for compression experiments. Once completed, the laser will be delivered to the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility in Germany as a UK-funded contribution in kind, where it will be used to study extreme states of matter at the High Energy Density (HED) instrument.
HiPER is the European Project for Laser Fusion that has been able to join 26 institutions and signed under formal government agreement by 6 countries inside the ESFRI Program of the European Union (EU). The project is already extended by EU for two years more (until 2013) after its first preparatory phase from 2008. A large work has been developed in different areas to arrive to a design of repetitive operation of Laser Fusion Reactor, and decisions are envisioned in the next phase of Technology Development or Risk Reduction for Engineering or Power Plant facilities (or both). Chamber design has been very much completed for Engineering phase and starting of preliminary options for Reactor Power Plant have been established and review here.
We review development in the repetition-rate target area systems and technologies within the Work Package 15 of the HiPER Preparatory Phase project. The activities carried out in 2009-2010 have been involving analysis of solutions and baseline design of major elements of the repetition-rated fusion chamber, analysis of prospective injector technologies, numerical modelling of target survival during acceleration phase and during flight in the environment of fusion chamber, analysis of options of remote handling, systems of mitigation of fusion debris, and others. The suggested solutions assume operation at the repetition rate of 10 Hz and fusion yield between 20 and 100 MJ. Shock ignition is assumed as the baseline ignition scenario, although some technologies are applicable in the fast ignition; a number of the technologies identified are exploitable as well in the indirect drive. The operation of the HiPER repetition-rate chamber will contribute to technology development for the Demonstration Reactor HiPER facility.
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