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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
R. A. London, B. J. Kozioziemski, M. M. Marinak, G. D. Kerbel, D. N. Bittner
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 49 | Number 4 | May 2006 | Pages 608-615
Technical Paper | Target Fabrication | doi.org/10.13182/FST06-A1174
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Infrared heating has been demonstrated as an effective technique to smooth solid hydrogen layers inside transparent cryogenic inertial confinement fusion capsules. Control of the first two Legendre modes of the fuel thickness perturbations using two infrared beams injected into a hohlraum was predicted by modeling and experimentally demonstrated. In the current work, we use coupled ray tracing and heat transfer simulations to explore a wider range of control of long scale length asymmetries. We demonstrate several scenarios to control the first four Legendre modes in the fuel layer using four beams. With such a system, it appears possible to smooth both short and long scale length fuel thickness variations in transparent indirect drive inertial confinement fusion targets