Optimization of laser illumination configuration for directly driven inertial confinement fusion

TL;DR

This paper develops optimized laser configurations for direct drive inertial confinement fusion, achieving higher illumination uniformity through theoretical modeling and numerical simulations, including novel configurations like M48 and M60.

Contribution

It introduces a new numerical model for optimizing laser arrangements and proposes innovative configurations and a polar direct-drive scheme for improved fusion target illumination.

Findings

M48 and M60 configurations outperform existing systems in uniformity

A simple numerical model effectively predicts optimal laser arrangements

A novel polar direct-drive scheme is proposed for indirect drive applications

Abstract

Optimum laser configurations are presented to achieve high illumination uniformity with directly driven inertial confinement fusion targets. Assuming axisymmetric absorption pattern of individual laser beams, theoretical models are reviewed in terms of the number of laser beams, system imperfection, and laser beam patterns. Utilizing a self-organizing system of charged particles on a sphere, a simple numerical model is provided to give an optimal configuration for an arbitrary number of laser beams. As a result, such new configurations as M48 and M60 are found to show substantially higher illumination uniformity than any other existing direct drive systems. A new polar direct-drive scheme is proposed with the laser axes keeping off the target center, which can be applied to laser configurations designed for indirectly driven inertial fusion.