Aerosol Production in IFE Chamber Systems

Preliminary studies have been performed to evaluate the production of aerosols in wetted wall and solid wall IFE chamber configurations. Molten lead and flibe were examined for a wetted-wall chamber 6.5 m in radius, giving aerosol mass concentrations of 20 mg/m³ and 10 mg/m³, respectively, for a simulated 458 MJ indirect-drive target microexplosion. Solid wall materials of tungsten and steel exposed to a 154 MJ direct-drive target microexplosion within an equivalent chamber produced mass concentrations of 0.4 mg/m³ and 90 mg/m³, respectively.