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Effects of Radial Thermal Conduction and Radiation Transport During Fuel Pellet Implosion in Heavy-Ion Inertial Fusion

Naoto WATANABE, Kazumasa TAKAHASHI, Toru SASAKI and Takashi KIKUCHI

Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka 940-2188, Japan

(Received 10 January 2022 / Accepted 6 May 2022 / Published 15 August 2022)

Abstract

We investigated the effects of radial thermal conduction and radiation transport from a fuel pre-heating for during the implosion process. We proposed a target structure using a Pb pusher to prevent the pre-heating phenomenon. We compared the electron heat and radiation fluxes, optical thickness, radiation temperature of the fuel, and fuel compression ratio for the Al and Pb pushers. For the Pb pusher, the compression ratio of the fuel increased when pre-heating was prevented. The results indicated that a pusher with a high-Z and dense material could minimize pre-heating and achieve a high fuel compression ratio. This is because such a material can maintain higher opacity during the implosion process.

Copyright (c) 2022 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Keywords

heavy-ion inertial fusion, implosion, pre-heating, radiation transport, thermal conduction

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.17.2404086

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