X-ray driven implosions at ignition relevant velocities on the National Ignition Facility

Backlit convergent ablator experiments on the National Ignition Facility [E. I. Moses, Phys. Plasmas 16, 041006 (2009)] are indirect drive implosions that study the inflight dynamics of an imploding capsule. Side-on, backlit radiography provides data used by the National Ignition Campaign to measure time-dependent properties of the capsule ablator including its center of mass radius, velocity, and unablated mass. Previously, Callahan [D. A. Callahan, Phys. Plasmas 19, 056305 (2012)] and Hicks [D. H. Hicks, Phys. Plasmas 19, 122702 (2012)] reported backlit convergent ablator experiments demonstrating velocities approaching those required for ignition. This paper focuses on implosion performance data in the "rocket curve" plane, velocity vs. ablator mass. These rocket curve data, along with supporting numerical simulations, show that the nominal 195 μm-thick ignition capsule would reach the ignition velocity goal V = 370 km/s with low ablator mass remaining-below the goal of M = 0.25 mg. This finding led to experiments with thicker capsule ablators. A recent symmetry capsule experiment with a 20 μm thicker capsule driven by 520 TW, 1.86 MJ laser pulse (along with a companion backlit convergent ablator experiment) appears to have demonstrated V ≥ 350 km / s with ablator mass remaining above the ignition goal.