Suppression of Landau damping via electron band gap

The pondermotive potential in the X-ray Raman compression can generate an electron band gap which suppresses the Landau damping. The regime is identified where a Langmuir wave can be driven without damping in the stimulated Raman compression. It is shown that the partial wave breaking and the frequency detuning due to the trapped particles would be greatly reduced.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Photonic band gap and x-ray optics in warm dense matter

Photonic band gaps for the soft x-rays, formed in the periodic structures of solids or dense plasmas, are theoretically investigated. Optical manipulation mechanisms for the soft x-rays, which are based on these band gaps, are computationally demonstrated. The reflection and amplification of the soft x-rays, and the compression and stretching of chirped soft x-ray pulses are discussed. A scheme for lasing with atoms with two energy levels, utilizing the band gap, is also studied.Comment: 3 figures, will be published on Po

X-ray Raman compression via two-stream instability in dense plasmas

A Raman compression scheme suitable for x-rays, where the Langmuir wave is created by an intense beam rather than the pondermotive potential between the seed and pump pulses, is proposed. The required intensity of the seed and pump pulses enabling the compression could be mitigated by more than a factor of 100, compared to conventionally available other Raman compression schemes. The relevant wavelength of x-rays ranges from 1 to 10 nm

X-ray diffraction from shock-loaded polycrystals

X-ray diffraction was demonstrated from shock-compressed polycrystalline metal on nanosecond time scales. Laser ablation was used to induce shock waves in polycrystalline foils of Be, 25 to 125 microns thick. A second laser pulse was used to generate a plasma x-ray source by irradiation of a Ti foil. The x-ray source was collimated to produce a beam of controllable diameter, and the beam was directed at the Be sample. X-rays were diffracted from the sample, and detected using films and x-ray streak cameras. The diffraction angle was observed to change with shock pressure. The diffraction angles were consistent with the uniaxial (elastic) and isotropic (plastic) compressions expected for the loading conditions used. Polycrystalline diffraction will be used to measure the response of the crystal lattice to high shock pressures and through phase changes

Progress on the physics of ignition for radiation driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets

Extensive modeling of proposed National Ignition Facility (NIF) ignition targets has resulted in a variety of targets using different materials in the fuel shell, using driving temperatures which range from 250-300 eV, and requiring energies from < 1 MJ up to the full 1. 8 MJ design capability of NIF. Recent Nova experiments have shown that hohlraum walls composed of a mixture of high-z materials could result in targets which require about 20% less energy. Nova experiments are being used to quantify benefits of beam smoothing in reducing stimulated scattering processes and laser beam filamentation for proposed gas-filled hohlraum targets on NIF. Use of Smoothing by Spectral Dispersion with 2-3 {Angstrom}of bandwidth results in <4-5% of Stimulated Raman Scattering and less than about 1% Stimulated Brillouin Scattering for intensities less than about 2x10{sup 15}W/cm{sup 2} for this type of hohlraum. The symmetry in Nova gas- filled hohlraums is affected by the gas fill. A large body of evidence now exists which indicates that this effect is due to laser beam filamentation which can be largely controlled by beam smoothing. We present here the firs 3-D simulations of hydrodynamic instability for the NIF point design capsule. These simulations, with the HYDRA radiation hydrodynamics code, indicate that spikes can penetrate up to 10 {mu}m into the 30{mu}m radius hot spot before ignition is quenched. Using capsules whose surface is modified by laser ablation, Nova experiments have been used to quantify the degradation of implosions subject to near NIF levels of hydrodynamic instability

A reduced coupled-mode description for the electron-ion energy relaxation in dense matter

We present a simplified model for the electron-ion energy relaxation in dense two-temperature systems that includes the effects of coupled collective modes. It also extends the standard Spitzer result to both degenerate and strongly coupled systems. Starting from the general coupled-mode description, we are able to solve analytically for the temperature relaxation time in warm dense matter and strongly coupled plasmas. This was achieved by decoupling the electron-ion dynamics and by representing the ion response in terms of the mode frequencies. The presented reduced model allows for a fast description of temperature equilibration within hydrodynamic simulations and an easy comparison for experimental investigations. For warm dense matter, both fluid and solid, the model gives a slower electron-ion equilibration than predicted by the classical Spitzer result

LIFE Pure Fusion Target Designs: Status and Prospects

Analysis and radiation-hydrodynamics simulations for expected high-gain fusion target performance on a demonstration 1-GWe Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plant are presented. The required laser energy driver is 2.2 MJ at a 0.351-{mu}m wavelength, and a fusion target gain greater than 60 at a repetition rate of 16 Hz is the design goal for economic and commercial attractiveness. A scaling-law analysis is developed to benchmark the design parameter space for hohlraum-driven central hot-spot ignition. A suite of integrated hohlraum simulations is presented to test the modeling assumptions and provide a basis for near-term experimental resolution of the key physics uncertainties on the National Ignition Facility

Numerical simulations of compressible Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence in stratified fluids

We present results from numerical simulations of Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence, performed using a recently proposed lattice Boltzmann method able to describe consistently a thermal compressible flow subject to an external forcing. The method allowed us to study the system both in the nearly-Boussinesq and strongly compressible regimes. Moreover, we show that when the stratification is important, the presence of the adiabatic gradient causes the arrest of the mixing process.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Proceedings of II Conference on Turbulent Mixing and Beyond (TMB-2009

Ab Initio Simulations of Dense Helium Plasmas

We study the thermophysical properties of dense helium plasmas by using quantum molecular dynamics and orbital-free molecular dynamics simulations, where densities are considered from 400 to 800 g/cm$^{3}$ and temperatures up to 800 eV. Results are presented for the equation of state. From the Kubo-Greenwood formula, we derive the electrical conductivity and electronic thermal conductivity. In particular, with the increase in temperature, we discuss the change in the Lorenz number, which indicates a transition from strong coupling and degenerate state to moderate coupling and partial degeneracy regime for dense helium.Comment: 4 PRL pages, 3 figure