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J. C. Fernández, J. A. Cobble,
D. S. Montgomery and M. D. Wilke
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87544 USA
Abstract. Laser-plasma instability is a serious concern for
indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF), where laser beams illuminate
the interior of a cavity (called a hohlraum) to produce X-rays to drive the
implosion of a fusion capsule. Stimulated Raman and Brillouin backscattering
(SRS and SBS) could result in unacceptably high laser reflectivities.
Unfortunately, it is impossible at present to fully simulate
these processes realistically. Our experimental program aims to understand
these instabilities by pursuing a dual strategy. (1) We use a gas-filled
hohlraum design, which best approaches ignition-hohlraum conditions, on the
Nova laser to identify important non linear trends. (2) We are shifting
towards more fundamental experiments with a nearly diffraction-limited
interaction laser beam illuminating extremely well characterized plasmas on
the Trident laser facility at Los Alamos to probe the relevant fundamental
processes.
IAEA 2001
