Optimization of Drive Uniformity in NIF Polar Drive Implosions Using Gated X Ray Self Emission Images
Submitted for the DPP12 Meeting of The American Physical Society Optimization of Drive Uniformity in NIF Polar Drive Implosions Using Gated X Ray Self Emission Images R.S. CRAXTON, P.W. MCKENTY, P.A. OLSON, D.H. FROULA, D.T. MICHEL, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, S. LEPAPE, A.J. MACKINNON, LLNL Gated x ray self emission images have been obtained in "exploding pusher," polar drive, diagnostics commissioning experiments1 on the NIF. They show a difference in drive between the pole and equator that serves as a diagnostic of drive uniformity. Modeling of the shell trajectories using the 2 D hydrodynamics code SAGE 2 indicates that the difference between the pole and equator may result from deviations between the modeled and actual on target phase plate profiles. The sensitivity of the implosion uniformity to these profiles and to other parameters such as defocus and repointing has been explored with the goal of finding improved polar drive irradiation designs. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inertial Confinement Fusion under Cooperative Agreement No. DE FC52 08NA28302. 1A. M. Cok, R. S. Craxton, and P. W. McKenty, Phys. Plasmas 15, 082705 (2008) 2R. S. Craxton and R. L. McCrory, J. Appl. Phys. 56, 108 (1984) R.S. Craxton Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester Date submitted: 09 Jul 2012 Electronic form version 1.4