| Title |
How Accurate Laser Physics Modeling Is Enabling Nuclear Fusion Ignition Experiments |
| Authors |
- K.P. McCandless, R.H. Aden, A. Bhasker, R.T. Deveno, J.-M.G. Di Nicola, M. Erickson, T.E. Lanier, S.A. McLaren, G. Mennerat, F.X. Morrissey, J. Penner, T. Petersen, B.A. Raymond, S.E. Schrauth, M.F. Tam, K. Varadan, L. Waxer
LLNL, Livermore, California, USA
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| Abstract |
This last year we achieved an important milestone by reaching fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF), a multi-decadal effort involving a large collaboration. The NIF facility contains a 192-beam 4.2 MJ neodymium glass laser (around 1053 nm) that is frequency converted to 351 nm light. To meet stringent laser performance required for ignition, laser modeling codes including the Virtual Beamline (VBL) and its predecessors are used as engines of the Laser Operations Performance Model (LPOM). VBL comprises an advanced nonlinear physics model that captures the response of all the NIF laser components (from IR to UV and nJ to MJ) and precisely computes the input beam power profile needed to deliver the desired UV output on target. NIF was built to access the extreme high energy density conditions needed to support the nation’s nuclear stockpile and to study Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). The design, operation and future enhancements to this laser system are guided by the VBL physics modeling code which uses best-in-class standards to enable high-resolution simulations on the Laboratory’s high-performance computing platforms. The future of repeated and optimized ignition experiments relies on the ability for the laser system to accurately model and produce desired power profiles at an expanded regime from the laser’s original design criteria.
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| Footnotes & References |
LLNL Release Number: LLNL-ABS-847846 |
| Funding |
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 |
| Paper |
download FR2AO01.PDF [1.406 MB / 6 pages] |
| Slides |
download FR2AO01_TALK.PDF [3.575 MB] |
| Cite |
download ※ BibTeX
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※ EndNote |
| Conference |
ICALEPCS2023 |
| Series |
International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems (19th) |
| Location |
Cape Town, South Africa |
| Date |
09-13 October 2023 |
| Publisher |
JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Editorial Board |
Volker RW Schaa (GSI, Darmstadt, Germany); Andy Götz (ESRF, Grenoble, France); Johan Venter (SARAO, Cape Town, South Africa); Karen White (SNS, Oak Ridge, TN, USA); Marie Robichon (ESRF, Grenoble, France); Vivienne Rowland (SARAO, Cape Town, South Africa) |
| Online ISBN |
978-3-95450-238-7 |
| Online ISSN |
2226-0358 |
| Received |
26 September 2023 |
| Revised |
12 October 2023 |
| Accepted |
05 December 2023 |
| Issued/td>
| 14 December 2023 |
| DOI |
doi:10.18429/JACoW-ICALEPCS2023-FR2AO01 |
| Pages |
1620-1625 |
| Copyright |
 Published by JACoW Publishing under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s), the published article's title, publisher, and DOI. |
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