Stopping power of hot dense deuterium-tritium plasmas mixed with impurities to charged particles.

In this work, we studied the stopping power of deuterium-tritium (DT) plasmas mixed with impurities to the injected charged particles. Based on the Brown-Preston-Singleton model, the analytical expression for the change ratio of stopping power (denoted by η) induced by impurities in DT plasmas is developed, in which both classical short-distance collision part and quantum correction contribution are purely linear response to the impurity concentration ξ_{X}, while the classical long-range collision brings about higher-order nonlinear response to ξ_{X}. Furthermore, the expression for change ratio of deposition depth (denoted by χ) of charged particles induced by impurities in DT plasmas is also derived. As applications, we systemically investigated the energy loss of α particles deposited into a hot dense DT plasma mixed with impurity X(X=C, Si, Ge), where the temperature and density of DT are smaller than 10 keV and 500 g/cm^{3} and the concentration of Xξ_{X} is less than 5%. The numerical results suggest that (i) for the case of C mixed into DT, both change ratios of stopping power and deposition depth of α particles (i.e., η and χ) are linear response to the concentration of C ξ_{C}; (ii) for the case of Si mixed into DT, the second-order nonlinear response of η and χ to ξ_{Si} cannot be ignored when the densities of DT are larger than 200 g/cm^{3}; and (iii) for the case of Ge mixed into DT, the second- and third-order nonlinear response of η and χ to ξ_{Ge} are very remarkable because of the higher ionization degree and heavier atomic mass of Ge. The formulas and findings in this work may be helpful to the research of internal confinement fusion (ICF) related implosion physics and may provide useful theoretical guidance and data for the design of ICF target.

Experimental demonstration of low laser-plasma instabilities in gas-filled spherical hohlraums at laser injection angle designed for ignition target.

Octahedral spherical hohlraums with a single laser ring at an injection angle of 55^{∘} are attractive concepts for laser indirect drive due to the potential for achieving the x-ray drive symmetry required for high convergence implosions. Laser-plasma instabilities, however, are a concern given the long laser propagation path in such hohlraums. Significant stimulated Raman scattering has been observed in cylindrical hohlraums with similar laser propagation paths during the ignition campaign on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). In this Rapid Communication, experiments demonstrating low levels of laser-driven plasma instability (LPI) in spherical hohlraums with a laser injection angle of 55^{∘} are reported and compared to that observed with cylindrical hohlraums with injection angles of 28.5^{∘} and 55^{∘}, similar to that of the NIF. Significant LPI is observed with the laser injection of 28.5^{∘} in the cylindrical hohlraum where the propagation path is similar to the 55^{∘} injection angle for the spherical hohlraum. The experiments are performed on the SGIII laser facility with a total 0.35-µm incident energy of 93 kJ in a 3 nsec pulse. These experiments demonstrate the role of hohlraum geometry in LPI and demonstrate the need for systematic experiments for choosing the optimal configuration for ignition studies with indirect drive inertial confinement fusion.

First Investigation on the Radiation Field of the Spherical Hohlraum.

The first spherical hohlraum energetics experiment is accomplished on the SGIII-prototype laser facility. In the experiment, the radiation temperature is measured by using an array of flat-response x-ray detectors (FXRDs) through a laser entrance hole at four different angles. The radiation temperature and M-band fraction inside the hohlraum are determined by the shock wave technique. The experimental observations indicate that the radiation temperatures measured by the FXRDs depend on the observation angles and are related to the view field. According to the experimental results, the conversion efficiency of the vacuum spherical hohlraum is in the range from 60% to 80%. Although this conversion efficiency is less than the conversion efficiency of the near vacuum hohlraum on the National Ignition Facility, it is consistent with that of the cylindrical hohlraums used on the NOVA and the SGIII-prototype at the same energy scale.

First-Principles Investigation to Ionization of Argon Under Conditions Close to Typical Sonoluminescence Experiments.

Mott effect, featured by a sharp increase of ionization, is one of the unique properties of partially ionized plasmas, and thus of great interest to astrophysics and inertial confinement fusion. Recent experiments of single bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) revealed that strong ionization took place at a density two orders lower than usual theoretical expectation. We show from the perspective of electronic structures that the strong ionization is unlikely the result of Mott effect in a pure argon plasma. Instead, first-principles calculations suggest that other ion species from aqueous environments can energetically fit in the gap between the continuum and the top of occupied states of argon, making the Mott effect possible. These results would help to clarify the relationship between SBSL and Mott effect, and further to gain an better understanding of partially ionized plasmas.

Thermophysical properties of hydrogen-helium mixtures: re-examination of the mixing rules via quantum molecular dynamics simulations.

Thermophysical properties of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen-helium mixtures have been investigated in the warm dense matter regime at electron number densities ranging from 6.02 × 10^{29} ∼ 2.41 × 10^{30} m^{-3} and temperatures from 4000 to 20000 K via quantum molecular dynamics simulations. We focus on the dynamical properties such as the equation of states, diffusion coefficients, and viscosity. Mixing rules (density matching, pressure matching, and binary ionic mixing rules) have been validated by checking composite properties of pure species against that of the fully interacting mixture derived from quantum molecular dynamics simulations. These mixing rules reproduce pressures within 10% accuracy, while it is 75% and 50% for the diffusion and viscosity, respectively. The binary ionic mixing rule moves the results into better agreement. Predictions from one component plasma model are also provided and discussed.

Transport properties of dense deuterium-tritium plasmas.

Consistent descriptions of the equation of states and information about the transport coefficients of the deuterium-tritium mixture are demonstrated through quantum molecular dynamic (QMD) simulations (up to a density of 600 g/cm(3) and a temperature of 10(4) eV). Diffusion coefficients and viscosity are compared to the one-component plasma model in different regimes from the strong coupled to the kinetic one. Electronic and radiative transport coefficients, which are compared to models currently used in hydrodynamic simulations of inertial confinement fusion, are evaluated up to 800 eV. The Lorentz number is discussed from the highly degenerate to the intermediate region. One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation results indicate that different temperature and density distributions are observed during the target implosion process by using the Spitzer model and ab initio transport coefficients.

Equations of state and transport properties of warm dense beryllium: a quantum molecular dynamics study.

We have calculated the equations of state, the viscosity and self-diffusion coefficients, and electronic transport coefficients of beryllium in the warm dense regime for densities from 4.0 to 6.0 g/cm(3) and temperatures from 1.0 to 10.0 eV by using quantum molecular dynamics simulations. The principal Hugoniot curve is in agreement with underground nuclear explosive and high-power laser experimental results up to ~20 Mbar. The calculated viscosity and self-diffusion coefficients are compared with the one-component plasma model, using effective charges given by the average-atom model. The Stokes-Einstein relationship, which connects viscosity and self-diffusion coefficients, is found to hold fairly well in the strong coupling regime. The Lorenz number, which is the ratio between thermal and electrical conductivities, is computed via Kubo-Greenwood formula and compared to the well-known Wiedemann-Franz law in the warm dense region.

Plasmoid ejection and secondary current sheet generation from magnetic reconnection in laser-plasma interaction.

Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fanlike electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The (>1 MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.

Ab Initio simulations of dense helium plasmas.

We study the thermophysical properties of dense helium plasmas by using quantum molecular dynamics and orbital-free molecular dynamics simulations, where densities are considered from 400 to 800 g/cm3 and temperatures up to 800 eV. Results are presented for the equation of state. From the Kubo-Greenwood formula, we derive the electrical conductivity and electronic thermal conductivity. In particular, with the increase in temperature, we discuss the change in the Lorenz number, which indicates a transition from strong coupling and degenerate state to moderate coupling and partial degeneracy regime for dense helium.