Symmetric inertial-confinement-fusion-capsule implosions in a double-z-pinch-driven hohlraum

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Dec 9;89(24):245002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.245002. Epub 2002 Nov 26.

Abstract

An inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) concept using two 60-MA Z pinches to drive a cylindrical hohlraum to 220 eV has been recently proposed. The first capsule implosions relevant to this concept have been performed at the same physical scale with a lower 20-MA current, yielding a 70+/-5 eV capsule drive. The capsule shell shape implies a polar radiation symmetry, the first high-accuracy measurement of this type in a pulsed-power-driven ICF configuration, within a factor of 1.6-4 of that required for scaling to ignition. The convergence ratio of 14-21 is to date the highest in any pulsed-power ICF system.