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The need of cryogenic hydrogenic fuels in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition targets has been long been established. Efficient implosion of such targets has mandated keeping the adiabat of the main fuel layer at low levels to ensure drive energies are kept at reasonable minima. The use of cryogenic fuels helps meet this requirement and has therefore become the standard in most ICF ignition designs. To date most theoretical ICF ignition target designs have assumed a homogeneous layer of deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel kept slightly below the triple point. However, recent work has indicated that, as cryogenic fuel layers are formed inside an ICF capsule, isotopic dissociation of the tritium (T), deuterium (D), and DT takes place leading to a “fractionation” of the final ice layer. This paper will numerically investigate the effects that various scenarios of fractionation have on hot-spot formation, ignition, and burn in ICF ignition target designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a method to interferometrically characterize the inner surface of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule. Features of the convergent-beam Mach-Zehnder interferometer; Method to decompose the wavefronts into a one-dimensional Fourier spectrum; Validity of convergent-beam interferometry by analyzing numerically generated perturbed wavefronts.

Examines the effects of the broad-bandwidth laser light used in smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) on the self-focusing of the beam during propagation through nonlinear optical components in the laser system. Numerical approximation used to characterize and model SSD propagation; Scenarios examined involving phase- and amplitude-modulated beams injected into a nonlinear medium; Intrinsic sources of amplitude modulation.

Deals with a study which examined the importance of various sources of power imbalance of the 24 beam OMEGA laser system in contributing to laser irradiation non-uniformity. Methods used to characterize the irradiation non-uniformities; Impact of power imabalance on the level of irradiation non-uniformity; OMEGA experiment.