Measurements of dense fuel hydrodynamics in the NIF burning plasma experiments using backscattered neutron spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses backscattered neutron spectroscopy to measure dense fuel hydrodynamics in inertial confinement fusion experiments, revealing how fuel behavior correlates with burn progress and ignition signatures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of neutron spectroscopy to directly probe dense fuel hydrodynamics during fusion burn, providing new insights into burn propagation and ignition.

Findings

Dense fuel outward velocity increases with yield.

Apparent ion temperature rises rapidly with neutron yield.

Evidence of burn propagation into dense fuel layer.

Abstract

The hydrodynamics of the dense confining fuel shell is of great importance in defining the behaviour of the burning plasma and burn propagation regimes of inertial confinement fusion experiments. However, it is difficult to probe due to its low emissivity in comparison to the central fusion core. In this work, we utilise the backscattered neutron spectroscopy technique to directly measure the hydrodynamic conditions of the dense fuel during fusion burn. Experimental data is fit to obtain dense fuel velocities and apparent ion temperatures. Trends of these inferred parameters with yield and velocity of the burning plasma are used to investigate their dependence on alpha heating and low mode drive asymmetry. It is shown that the dense fuel layer has an increased outward radial velocity as yield increases showing burn has continued into re-expansion, a key signature of hotspot ignition. Comparison with analytic and simulation models show that the observed dense fuel parameters are displaying signatures of burn propagation into the dense fuel layer, including a rapid increase in dense fuel apparent ion temperature with neutron yield.