title: Time-resolved compression of a capsule with a cone to high density for fast-ignition laser fusion.
abstract: The advent of high-intensity lasers enables us to recreate and study the behaviour of matter under the extreme densities and pressures that exist in many astrophysical objects. It may also enable us to develop a power source based on laser-driven nuclear fusion. Achieving such conditions usually requires a target that is highly uniform and spherically symmetric. Here we show that it is possible to generate high densities in a so-called fast-ignition target that consists of a thin shell whose spherical symmetry is interrupted by the inclusion of a metal cone. Using picosecond-time-resolved X-ray radiography, we show that we can achieve areal densities in excess of 300 mg cm(-2) with a nanosecond-duration compression pulse--the highest areal density ever reported for a cone-in-shell target. Such densities are high enough to stop MeV electrons, which is necessary for igniting the fuel with a subsequent picosecond pulse focused into the resulting plasma.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Theobald
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Solodov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stoeckl
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiksel
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Giraldez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: V Yu
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Glebov
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Habara
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ivancic
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Jarrott
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McKiernan
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mileham
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Nilson
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Sangster
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, CEA, CNRS, CELIA (Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications), UMR 5107, F-33405, Talence, France.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shvydky
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186, USA.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wei