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In the companion LLNL-led Eagle Nebula effort (Figure {Eagle}), experiments to characterize a multi-hohlraum "Long Duration Radiator" source at the Omega EP laser remain on schedule for June 2013. These experiments are being performed by a collaboration between HEDLP Eagle Nebula, Roberto Mancini s and Bob Heeter s photionization project, and CEA, who will field their µDMX spectrometer.
DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences program supports research on the science of intense heavy-ion beams, on high-energy-density physics (HEDP) and especially Warm Dense Matter (WDM) generated by ion beams, and on target physics for ion-beam-driven Inertial Fusion Energy. The major participants in this endeavor are the partners in the Heavy Ion Fusion Science Virtual National Laboratory (HIFS-VNL), a collaboration of LBNL, LLNL, and PPPL, and colleagues at universities. Ongoing experiments are focused on generating, compressing, and focusing intense, space-charge-dominated ion beams and using them to heat thin foils, the evolution and properties of which are then measured. To further this work, a new accelerator facility, the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment-II (NDCX-II), has been built at LBNL, and is currently undergoing commissioning. Obtaining maximum benefit from these experiments is a key near-term goal of the simulation program.
Our principal goals, and activities in support of those goals, over the next five years are as follows: (1) Optimize the properties of the NDCX-II beam for each class of target experiments; achieve quantitative agreement with measurements; develop improved machine configurations and operating points. To accomplish these goals, we plan to use Warp to simulate NDCX-II from source to target, in full kinetic detail, including first-principles modeling of beam neutralization by plasma. The output from an ensemble of Warp runs (representing shot-to-shot variations) will be used as input to target simulations using ALE-AMR on NERSC, and other codes. (2) Develop enhanced versions of NDCX-II (the machine is designed to be extensible and reconfigurable), and carry out studies to define a next-step ion beam facility. To accomplish these goals, much of the work will involve iterative optimization employing Warp runs that assume ideal beam neutralization downstream of the accelerator. (3) Carry out detailed target simulations in the Warm Dense Matter regime using the ALE-AMR code, including surface tension effects, liquid-vapor coexistence, and accurate models of both the driving beam and the target geometry. For this we will need to make multiple runs (to capture shot-to-shot variations), and to both develop and employ synthetic diagnostics (to enable comparison with experiments). The new science that will be revealed is the physics of the transition from the liquid to vapor state of a volumetrically superheated material, wherein droplets are formed, and wherein phase transitions, surface tension and hydrodynamics all play significant roles in the dynamics. These simulations will enable calculations of equation of state and other material properties, and will also be of interest for their illumination of the science of droplet formation.
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High resolution density diagnostics are difficult in high energy density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP) experiments due to the scarcity of probes that can penetrate above solid density plasmas. Hard x-rays are one possible probe for such dense plasmas. We study the possibility of applying an x-ray method recently developed for medical imaging, differential phase-contrast with Talbot-Lau interferometers, for the diagnostic of electron density and small-scale hydrodynamic instabilities in HEDLP experiments. The Talbot method uses micro-periodic gratings to measure the refraction and ultra-small angle scatter of x-rays through an object and is attractive for HEDLP diagnostic due to its capability to work with incoherent and polychromatic x-ray sources such as the laser driven backlighters used for HEDLP radiography. Our paper studies the potential of the Talbot method for HEDLP diagnostic, its adaptation to the HEDLP environment, and its extension of high x-ray energy using micro-periodic mirrors. The analysis is illustrated with experimental results obtained using a laboratory Talbot interferometer.
Radiative and atomic processes in plasmas play a critical role in a wide variety of high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) experiments. The emission, absorption, and transport of radiation can strongly affect the overall energetics and evolution of such plasmas. In addition, radiation-based diagnostics – including imaging, spectroscopy, and absolute flux measurements – are widely used to determine key features of HEDLPs. To advance our understanding of HEDLP science, it is vital to have high-fidelity computational physics tools that have well-tested radiation physics modeling, and that are readily accessible to researchers in the HEDLP community. Simulations play an extremely important role for planning and designing the experiments, as well as for post-experiment data analysis. Prism Computational Sciences develops software that is used by National Laboratories and universities (including five members of LaserNetUS network). Prominent examples of such research efforts include z-pinch and short-pulse laser experiments designed to study the basic physics of photoionized plasmas and photoionization fronts, as well as their application to astrophysical plasmas. The main effort was dedicated to the development of non-equilibrium equation-of-state (EOS) models within the HELIOS-CR code, a hydrodynamics code with inline collisional-radiative atomic kinetics. Gas cell experiments on Z and Omega demonstrated the importance of non-equilibrium effects on atomic kinetics in photoionized plasmas. Recent proof-of-principle experiments on Omega EP confirmed the advantages of using a short-pulse laser to create an intense radiation drive, leading to additional experiments being proposed. Photoionization front experiments at LLE also emphasizes the importance of radiation and atomic physics. In both studies, HELIOS-CR simulations played a crucial role in computing non-equilibrium opacities and ionization distributions. A newly developed non-LTE EOS model will help addressing possible non-equilibrium effects, on for example specific heat, and their influence in plasma evolution. Prism also implemented support for open-source atomic data generated by the Flexible Atomic Code. This allows researchers to generate custom atomic tables and use them within the complex framework of simulation tools developed by Prism. The ability to use open-source atomic data would be extremely valuable for hydrodynamics and spectroscopic simulations that include high-Z materials, e.g., picosecond x-ray pulse generation experiments. Support for new atomic structures was fully implemented, and the data can be used by all simulation tools developed at Prism: radiation-hydrodynamics, imaging and spectroscopy, EOS and opacity. The development resulted in a significant fidelity enhancement to the simulations tools developed by Prism that are currently used in other cutting-edge experiments including: opacity measurement experiments performed to both understand the basic radiative and atomic properties of plasmas as well as provide data for more accurately modeling the internal structure of the Sun and other stars, high-intensity short-pulse laser experiments performed to develop short-wavelength light sources for use as backlighters and to investigate fast ignition concepts for inertial fusion energy; capsule implosion experiments designed to develop inertial fusion as an energy source, etc.
High-energy-density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) physics is an emerging, important area of research in plasma physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and particle acceleration. While the HEDLP regime occurs at extreme conditions which are often found naturally in space but not on the earth, it may be accessible by colliding high intensity plasmas such as high-energy-density plasma jets, plasmoids or compact toroids from plasma guns. The physics of plasma jets is investigated in the context of high energy density laboratory plasma research. This report summarizes results of theoretical and computational investigation of a plasma jet undergoing adiabatic compression and adiabatic expansion. A root-mean-squared (rms) envelope theory of plasma jets is developed. Comparison between theory and experiment is made. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found.
The Fast Ignition (FI) Concept for Inertial Confinement Fusion has the potential to provide a significant advance in the technical attractiveness of Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) reactors. FI differs from conventional “central hot spot” (CHS) target ignition by decoupling compression from heating: using the laser (or heavy ion beam or Z pinch) drive pulse (10’s of ns) to create a dense fuel and a second, much shorter (~10 ps) high intensity pulse to ignite a small region of it. There are two major physics issues concerning this concept; controlling the laser-induced generation of large electron currents and their propagation through high density plasmas. This project has addressed these two significant scientific issues in Relativistic High Energy Density (RHED) physics. Learning to control relativistic laser matter interaction (and the limits and potential thereof) will enable a wide range of applications. While these physics issues are of specific interest to inertial fusion energy science, they are also important for a wide range of other HED phenomena, including high energy ion beam generation, isochoric heating of materials, and the development of high brightness x-ray sources. Generating, controlling, and understanding the extreme conditions needed to advance this science has proved to be challenging: Our studies have pushed the boundaries of physics understanding and are at the very limits of experimental, diagnostic, and simulation capabilities in high energy density laboratory physics (HEDLP). Our research strategy has been based on pursuing the fundamental physics underlying the Fast Ignition (FI) concept. We have performed comprehensive study of electron generation and transport in fast-ignition targets with experiments, theory, and numerical modeling. A major issue is that the electrons produced in these experiments cannot be measured directly—only effects due to their transport. We focused mainly on x-ray continuum photons from bremsstrahlung and x-ray line radiation from K-shell fluorescence. Integrated experiments, which combine target compression with short-pulse laser heating, yield additional information on target heating efficiency. This indirect way of studying the underlying behavior of the electrons must be validated with computational modeling to understand the physics and improve the design. This program execution required a large, well-organized team and it was managed by a joint Collaboration between General Atomics (GA), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). The Collaboration was formed 8 years ago to understand the physics issues of the Fast Ignition concept, building on the strengths of each partner. GA fulfills its responsibilities jointly with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), The Ohio State University (OSU) and the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR). Since RHED physics is pursued vigorously in many countries, international researchers have been an important part of our efforts to make progress. The division of responsibility was as follows: (1) LLE had primary leadership for channeling studies and the integrated energy transfer, (2) LLNL led the development of measurement methods, analysis, and deployment of diagnostics, and (3) GA together with UCSD, OSU and UNR studied the detailed energy-transfer physics. The experimental program was carried out using the Titan laser at the Jupiter Laser Facility at LLNL, the OMEGA and OMEGA EP lasers at LLE and the Texas Petawatt laser (TPW) at UT Austin. Modeling has been pursued on large computing facilities at LLNL, OSU, and UCSD using codes developed (by us and others) within the HEDLP program, commercial codes, and by leveraging existing supercomputer codes developed by the NNSA ICF program. This Consortium brought together all the components—resources, facilities, and personnel—necessary to accomplish its aggressive goals. The ACE Program has been strongly collaborative, taking advantage of the expertise of the participating institutions to provide a research effort that is far greater than the sum of its parts. The results of this work have firmly strengthened the scientific foundation from which the viability of FI and other applications can be evaluated. Program execution has also led to improved diagnostics for probing dense, hot plasmas, detailed understanding of high-current, relativistic electron energy generation and transport across boundaries and into dense plasmas, and greatly enhanced predictive modeling capabilities. One important aspect of this program was the involvement and training of young scientists including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. During the entire 8 years of FI and ACE project period since 2005, more than fifteen graduate students completed their doctoral dissertations including three from OSU and two from UCSD in last three years. This project generated an impressive forty articles in high quality journals including nine (including two under review) in Physical Review Letters during the last funding period since 2011.
Energy conversion from high power lasers to energetic hot electrons is a fundamental phenomenon in laser-plasma interactions. At laser intensities above a few times 10 14 W/cm 2 , nonlinear laser-plasma interactions lead to the generation of hot electrons with a broad energy distribution at typical temperatures of 10’s – 100’s kilo-electron-volt (keV). The fraction of laser energy transferred to hot electrons, their energy distribution and energy coupling efficiency to the targets are strongly affected by the laser intensity, wavelength and the plasma condition. Most investigations to date that are related to the fusion of high-energy-density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP) are carried out with relatively moderate laser intensity and lower laser wavelength to minimize hot electron generation, as electron preheating can degrade the fuel assembly. An alternative fusion scheme known as shock ignition (SI) has been proposed, requiring a high intensity spike pulse at the end of a fuel assembly phase to generate a strong shock to ignite the fuel. An initial shock pressure of 0.3 Gbar is required for ignition-scale targets using the SI scheme, requiring a relatively high on-target laser intensity of 5-10X10 15 W/cm 2 for the spike pulse. At such intensities, copious hot electrons can be produced by laser-plasma-instabilities (LPI), e.g., Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) and Two-Plasmon Decay (TPD). While very energetic electrons (>200 keV) could preheat the fuel, electrons with moderate energies may actually be beneficial for the SI scheme. Electrons in the 50-100 keV range can be stopped in the compressed high-density outer ablator layer leading to an increase in the ignitor shock strength and therefore enhancing overall efficiency in the SI scheme. Considering this importance of total energy and temperature of hot electrons, it is necessary to understand the LPI in the SI high intensity regime. Characterizing the hot electron source and energy coupling is key to investigating the viability of the SI concept. The overall goal of the HEDLP award was to perform a detailed study of the scaling of hot electron generation and energy coupling on high power laser systems, with intensity, wavelength, and target ablator material relevant to the nonlinear laser-plasma interaction at SI relevant conditions. This was a collaborative project between the Center for Energy Research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and General Atomics. The experiment was performed at the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in the University of Rochester. Specific objectives of the work were to: understand the basic physics of laser-plasma interactions and instabilities at high laser intensities (up to 10 17 W/cm 2 ) and the effects of low-Z ablator materials and laser wavelengths (IR pulse at 1.054 µm versus UV pulse at 0.351 µm) and intensity scaling, fully characterize the resultant hot electron energy distribution, validate hot electron energy deposition via collisional and kinetic processes in the target and the induced shocks in support of electron-assisted SI concept.
The purpose of this research has been to study the physics of macroscopic magnetized high-energy-density laboratory plasmas (HEDLPs) created through the compression of a high-beta compact toroid (CT) plasma having closed magnetic field lines. The high-beta CT chosen for this work is a field-reversed configuration (FRC). The basic approach is to investigate CT plasmas as they are compressed to a HED state by the electromagnetic implosion of a surrounding metallic shell or solid liner (Figure 1). The shell provides an axisymmetric, electrically-conducting boundary around the plasma and its supporting magnetic field and is imploded by means of the magnetic pressure force arising from axial current flow in the liner interacting with its associated azimuthal magnetic field. Compression of the CT will bring the plasma to fusion temperatures at higher densities and magnetic fields (multi-MegaGauss [MG]) than have previously been present in conventional magnetic fusion approaches. The resulting energy densities will be ~1 Mbar or greater and thus will place the plasma in a parameter space intermediate to MFE and IFE. This work has been a collaboration between the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and NumerEx, LLC.
The goal of the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) is to explore and demonstrate the feasibility of forming imploding spherical ''plasma liners'' via merging high Mach number plasma jets to reach peak liner pressures of {approx}0.1 Mbar using {approx}1.5 MJ of initial stored energy. Such a system would provide HED plasmas for a variety of fundamental HEDLP, laboratory astrophysics, and materials science studies, as well as a platform for experimental validation of rad-hydro and rad-MHD simulations. It could also prove attractive as a potential standoff driver for magnetoinertial fusion. Predicted parameters from jet formation to liner stagnation cover a large range of plasma density and temperature, varying from n{sub i}{approx}10{sup 16} cm{sup -3}, T{sub e}{approx_equal}T{sub i}{approx}1 eV at the plasma gun mouth to n{sub i}>10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}, T{sub e}{approx_equal}T{sub i}{approx}0.5 keV at stagnation. This presents a challenging problem for the plasma diagnostics suite which will be discussed.
Plasma jets provide an alternate approach to the creation of high energy density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP). For the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX), typically 30 partially ionized argon jets, produced with mini-rail guns, will be focused into a central volume for subsequent magnetic compression into high density plasma liners that can reach high (0.1 Mbar) peak pressures upon stagnation. The jets are typically 2.5 cm in radius traveling at Mach number 30. Ultimate success will require optimized tuning of the rail configurations, the nozzles injecting the gases, and the careful implementation of pre-ionization. The modeling of plasma jet transport is particularly challenging, due the large space (100 sq cm) and time scales (microseconds) involved. Even traditional implicit methods are insufficient, due to the usual need to track electrons explicitly on the mesh. Wall emission and chemistry must be managed, as must ionization of the jet plasma. Ions in the jets are best followed as particles to account properly for collisions upon jet merger. This Phase I Project developed the code ePLAS to attack and successfully surmount many of these challenges. It invented a new 'super implicit' electromagnetic scheme, using implicit electron moment currents that allowed for modeling of jets over multi-cm and multi-picoseconds on standard, single processor 2 GHz PCs. It enabled merger studies of two jets, in preparation for the multi-jet merger problem. The Project explored particle modeling for the ions, and prepared for the future addition of a grid-base jet ion collision model. Access was added to tabular equations of state for the study of ionization effects in merging jets. The improved code was discussed at the primary plasma meetings (IEEE and APS) during the Project period. Collaborations with National Laboratory and industrial partners were nurtured. Code improvements were made to facilitate code use. See: http://www.researchapplicationscorp.com. The ePLAS code enjoys EAR99 export control treatment, permitting distribution to most foreign countries without a license.
The Los Alamos ICF program focused on ignition experiments and modeling and the continued development of HED experiments using both Omega and NIF. The first LANL ICF experiments on NIF took place in July for the DIME campaign. Diagnostic development for neutron imaging, gamma reaction history, and radiochemistry continued, also with experiments at NIF and Omega. The Trident laser facility supported the ICF, Science, and HEDLP programs by providing 550 shots to twelve different user groups.
The purpose of this study was to investigate some required details of the experimental design needed to field a credible, well-scaled Eagle Nebula HEDLP experiment on NIF. These details were addressed through new astronomical observations and review of existing literature. Below, we list the deliverables as given in the Statement of Work and discuss each in turn. UMCP Astronomy first-year graduate student Erin Grand was supported by the grant from August 01, 2011 to June 24, 2012 to oversee the CARMA observations, and reduce and analyze the data therefrom. For the remainder of Summer 2012, she is continuing the analysis with support by the CARMA consortium grant. The data, results, and analysis will form the core of her Second-Year Research Project (2YP), required to advance to Ph.D. candidacy in the Astronomy Department. A shorter version of her 2YP report (with less introductory material) will be submitted for publication in a major astronomical journal. Initial results from this study were presented in a poster by Grand and Pound at the 9th International Conference on High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics, held on April 30-May 4, 2012 at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. This poster is attached as Appendix A.
The High Energy Density Laboratory Physics (HEDLP)-funded Eagle nebula project, in collaboration with the LLNL/ University of Nevada Photoionization / Black Hole Physics effort, has successfully executed the first day of Laboratory Basic Science (LBS) Long Duration Radiator shots, performed at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics Omega EP Laser. This experiment employed a novel technique used a copper multi-hohlraum target with 3 hohlraum filled with a 4mg/cc TPX foam fill to act as a gas surrogate. Each hohlraum was driven with an Omega EP UV beam with either a 6ns pulse with 3.3kJ energy or 10ns pulse with 4.3 kJ. Each hohlraum was heated in succession to generate an 18ns or 30ns, 100 eV x-ray source for future laboratory astrophysics studies. The x-ray source was characterized with the CEA μDMX diagnostic and VISAR using a Quartz shock sample with a CH ablator over a single hohlraum. The Shot day was successful with six hohlraum shots on Omega EP with two 30ns x-ray drive shots. The data indicated that the novel foam-filled multi-hohlraum (‘Gatling Gun’) long –duration source performed as designed with all three hohlraums lighting up without significant inter-hohlraum interference (Figure 1). In addition the x-ray drive source was able to illuminate a Ti photoionization demonstration physics package with a 90 to 100 eV x-ray drive, generating Ti L-shell band radiation as expected. This source will next be applied to study ablation-driven hydrodynamics experiments relevant to the Eagle nebula and use the source and further develop the photoionization studies with a controlled 30ns x-ray source.
This report covers research activities, major results and publications supported by DE-SC-000-1481. This project was funded by the DOE OFES-NNSA HEDLP program. It was a joint research program between Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin. The physics of relativistic plasmas was investigated in the context of ultra-intense laser irradiation of high-Z solid targets. Laser experiments using the Texas Petawatt Laser were performed in the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Numerical simulations of laser-plasma interactions were performed using Monte Carlo and Particle-in-Cell codes to design and support these experiments. Astrophysical applications of these results were also investigated.
This is a final report for the grant entitled, “The application of parallel kinetic simulations to laser and electron transport through plasmas”. The objectives of this grant were to significantly advance the fundamental understanding of the nonlinear optics of plasmas and electron transport in high-energy-density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP), including conditions of relevance to Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE). The ultimate goal was to use the understanding to determine how to fully control laser plasma interactions. The primary research tools were our own kinetic particle-in-cell software, OSIRIS, that includes kinetic physics and can run effectively on leadership class computing facilities. Therefore, one objective was to ensure that OSIRIS in continually improved so that it was more accurate and could effectively utilize state-of-the-art computing facilities. Another objective was to attract and train young researchers into the field of high energy density plasma physics. To meet the research objectives, the funds from this proposal were used to conduct research on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and enhance our PIC software OSIRIS. It was found that small normalized magnetic fields can in some cases mitigate SRS and that speckles can mutually interact through SRS. It was also found that it is possible for instabilities drive near quarter critical (e.g., the high frequency hybrid instability-HFHI) can generate light waves that propagate back down a density gradient where they can rescatter into the HFHI at 1/16 of the original quarter critical density.