Shock Ignition in Indirect Drive: A New Approach to High Fusion Gains

Executive Summary

We will investigate a new indirect-drive shock-induced approach to ignition and fusion burn on the National Ignition Facility that has the potential to produce high fusion energy gains. This provides an additional route to ignition that would enable the rich physics of burning plasmas to be realized at the high fusion yield needed for laboratory missions including inertial fusion energy.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Perkins, L.J., J-M. G. Di Nicola, D. D. Ho, M. A. Erikson, et al., “Shock Ignition in Indirect Drive.” Basic Needs Workshop on Inertial Fusion Energy. June 21, 2022. LLNL-CONF-836460 (2022).

Perkins, L.J., D. J. Strozzi, D. T. Blackfield, J-M. G. Di Nicola, et al. “Approaches to Higher Gain/Yield Targets on the National Ignition Facility and Potential Benefits to SSP Applications in the Nuclear Regime.” JOWOG-37 High Energy Density Physics for Stockpile Stewardship Applications, COPD-2022-0126. 2022.

Perkins, L.J., J-M. G. Di Nicola, D. D. Ho, M. A. Erikson, et al., “Shock Ignition in Indirect Drive”, 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, Bull. Amer. Phys. Soc. 67, GO04.00008 2022. October 17-21, 2022.