Acceleration to high velocities and heating by impact using Nike KrF laser

Abstract

The Nike krypton fluoride laser ͓S. P. Obenschain, S. E. Bodner, D. Colombant, et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 2098 ͑1996͔͒ is used to accelerate planar plastic foils to velocities that for the first time reach 1000 km/s. Collision of the highly accelerated deuterated polystyrene foil with a stationary target produces ϳGbar shock pressures and results in heating of the foil to thermonuclear temperatures. The impact conditions are diagnosed using DD fusion neutron yield, with ϳ10 6 neutrons produced during the collision. Time-of-flight neutron detectors are used to measure the ion temperature upon impact, which reaches 2-3 keV.

Electron-beam accelerator for pumping of a Xe2 lamp

“…Electra is a high average power laser, which employs two counter-propagating electron beams for pumping of a laser cell, each beam of a 500 KeV, 100 kA, 150 ns, and area 30 × 100 cm 2 at repetition rate of 5 Hz (Sethian et al, 2000;Myers et al, 2004). The Nike laser amplifier produces opposing 750 kV, 500 kA, 240 ns, 60 × 200 cm 2 electron beams (Sethian et al, 1997;Karasik et al, 2010). In both these installations (Electra and Nike), each electron beam is produced by its own Marx generator and pulse forming line system.…”

Stability of stagnation via an expanding accretion shock wave

“…7, is known to be stable. Indeed, such a plasma flow is essentially the same as a shock-piston flow driven by a rigid piston moving at a constant velocity.…”

Progress of impact ignition

“…5 demonstrates [3] that ignition occurs when an impactor with a velocity of 1750 km/s and a density of 50 g/cm 3 collides with the main fuel with a density of 400 g/cm 3 . Here, the implosion and acceleration processes are neglected.…”