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DOE OSTI · 3377285

Reduced instability growth and improved radiation trapping with optimized shock timing in double-shell inertial confinement fusion capsules

Sauppe, Joshua Paul [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). LANL Michigan SPARC] (ORCID:0000000215071595)·Haines, Brian Michael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000238897074)·Lester, Ryan Stuart [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000245883690)·Loomis, Eric Nicholas [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000320951383)·Meyerhofer, David Dietrich [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000209041250)·Montgomery, David S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000223556242)·Palaniyappan, Sasikumar [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000163771206)·Robey III, Harry F. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000151698283)
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Abstract

The double shell is a volume-burn inertial confinement fusion concept consisting of two concentric shells: a low-Z outer shell that collides with and transfers momentum to a high-Z inner shell which compresses and heats the thermonuclear fuel. The increased number of capsule interfaces and severe hydrodynamic instability of the high-density pusher during its acceleration phase provide challenges to the success of the double shell. Two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulations predict the hydrodynamic instability growth on the outer surface of the pusher can be greatly reduced through appropriate timing of two shocks that cross this interface. One of these shocks, unique to multi-shell designs, arises from radiation-driven ablation of the inner shell ahead of the main shock, the second shock of concern. The shock timing is optimized by increasing the thickness of a low-Z tamper layer exterior to the pusher, resulting in only minimal changes to the implosion timing. Reducing the instability growth on the outer surface of the high-Z pusher can dramatically decrease the modulations that feedthrough to the pusher inner surface, improving the efficacy of radiation trapping in the thermonuclear fuel and increasing the predicted thermonuclear yield by ≳20×.

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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGYdouble shellhigh energy density physicshydrodynamic instabilitiesinertial confinement fusionradiation trappingradiation-hydrodynamicsshock timingshocks

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Sauppe, Joshua Paul [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). LANL Michigan SPARC] (ORCID:0000000215071595), Haines, Brian Michael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000238897074), Lester, Ryan Stuart [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000245883690), Loomis, Eric Nicholas [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000320951383), Meyerhofer, David Dietrich [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000209041250), Montgomery, David S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000223556242), Palaniyappan, Sasikumar [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000163771206), Robey III, Harry F. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000151698283). 2026-07-07. Reduced instability growth and improved radiation trapping with optimized shock timing in double-shell inertial confinement fusion capsules. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0335984

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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY subjectdouble shell subjecthigh energy density physics subjecthydrodynamic instabilities subjectinertial confinement fusion subjectradiation trapping subjectradiation-hydrodynamics subjectshock timing subjectshocks subject

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