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Norreys PA, Ceurvorst L, Sadler JD, Spiers BT, Aboushelbaya R, Mayr MW, Paddock R, Ratan N, Savin AF, Wang RHW, Glize K, Trines RMGM, Bingham R, Hill MP, Sircombe N, Ramsay M, Allan P, Hobbs L, James S, Skidmore J, Fyrth J, Luis J, Floyd E, Brown C, Haines BM, Olson RE, Yi SA, Zylstra AB, Flippo K, Bradley PA, Peterson RR, Kline JL, Leeper RJ. Preparations for a European R&D roadmap for an inertial fusion demo reactor. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021; 379:20200005. [PMID: 33280565 PMCID: PMC7741006 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition, etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. A brief overview of these activities, presented here, along with new calculations relates the concept of auxiliary heating of inertial fusion targets, and provides possible future directions of research and development for the updated European Roadmap that is due at the end of 2020. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. A. Norreys
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- UKRI-STFC Central Laser Facility, Didcot, UK
| | - L. Ceurvorst
- CELIA, Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Talence, France
| | - J. D. Sadler
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - B. T. Spiers
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - M. W. Mayr
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - R. Paddock
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - N. Ratan
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - A. F. Savin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - R. H. W. Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - K. Glize
- UKRI-STFC Central Laser Facility, Didcot, UK
| | | | - R. Bingham
- UKRI-STFC Central Laser Facility, Didcot, UK
- University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - M. P. Hill
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - N. Sircombe
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - M. Ramsay
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - P. Allan
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - L. Hobbs
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - S. James
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Skidmore
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Fyrth
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Luis
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - E. Floyd
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - C. Brown
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - B. M. Haines
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - R. E. Olson
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - S. A. Yi
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | | | - K. Flippo
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | | | | | - J. L. Kline
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - R. J. Leeper
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
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Spiers BT, Hill MP, Brown C, Ceurvorst L, Ratan N, Savin AF, Allan P, Floyd E, Fyrth J, Hobbs L, James S, Luis J, Ramsay M, Sircombe N, Skidmore J, Aboushelbaya R, Mayr MW, Paddock R, Wang RHW, Norreys PA. Whole-beam self-focusing in fusion-relevant plasma. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021; 379:20200159. [PMID: 33280566 PMCID: PMC7741010 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fast ignition inertial confinement fusion requires the production of a low-density channel in plasma with density scale-lengths of several hundred microns. The channel assists in the propagation of an ultra-intense laser pulse used to generate fast electrons which form a hot spot on the side of pre-compressed fusion fuel. We present a systematic characterization of an expanding laser-produced plasma using optical interferometry, benchmarked against three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Magnetic fields associated with channel formation are probed using proton radiography, and compared to magnetic field structures generated in full-scale particle-in-cell simulations. We present observations of long-lived, straight channels produced by the Habara-Kodama-Tanaka whole-beam self-focusing mechanism, overcoming a critical barrier on the path to realizing fast ignition. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. T. Spiers
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - M. P. Hill
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - C. Brown
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - L. Ceurvorst
- CELIA, Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Talence, France
| | - N. Ratan
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - A. F. Savin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - P. Allan
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - E. Floyd
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Fyrth
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - L. Hobbs
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - S. James
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Luis
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - M. Ramsay
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - N. Sircombe
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | - J. Skidmore
- Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, UK
| | | | - M. W. Mayr
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - R. Paddock
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - R. H. W. Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - P. A. Norreys
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- UKRI-STFC Central Laser Facility, Didcot, UK
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