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(IFP/03) Laser Beam Smoothing and Backscatter Saturation Processes in Plasmas Relevant to National Ignition Facility Hohlraums

B. J. MacGowan, R. L. Berger, B. I. Cohen, C. D. Decker, S. Dixit, S. H. Glenzer, D. E. Hinkel, R. K. Kirkwood, A. B. Langdon, E. Lefebvre¹, J. D. Moody, J. E. Rothenberg, C. Rousseaux¹, L. J. Suter, C. H. Still, E. A. Williams

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, L-473 P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550, U.S.A.
¹ Centre D'Etudes de Bruyeres le Chatel, France

Abstract.  We have used gas-filled targets irradiated by the Nova laser to simulate National Ignition Facility (NIF) hohlraum plasmas and to study the dependence of Stimulated Raman (SRS) and Brillouin (SBS) Scattering on beam smoothing at a range of laser intensities ( 3$\omega$, 2 - 410¹⁵Wcm^{- 2}) and plasma conditions. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of polarization smoothing as a potential upgrade to the NIF. Experiments with higher intensities and higher densities characteristic of 350eV hohlraum designs indicate that with appropriate beam smoothing the backscatter from such hohlraums may be tolerable.

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