PLASMA KINETICS, PRE-HEAT, AND THE EMERGENCE OF STRONG SHOCKS IN LASER FUSION

传统的惯性约束聚变或ICF实验的目的是将充氢氚的太空舱压缩到高密度，然后压缩到高温，以诱导聚变反应。如果时机正确，激光功率的强烈尖峰可以将强烈的冲击波驱动到压缩的氚燃料中，以与峰值压缩一致并启动聚变。与发射强烈冲击波相关的等离子体动力学基础的物理基础，以及高能或“热”电子对太空舱性能的影响，人们还不太了解。我的工作集中在研究发射冲击波所涉及的激光等离子体不稳定性，并表征它们产生的热电子总数。这些热电子在冲击波点火过程中是不可避免的，因此正在研究是否可以控制它们以增强冲击波和改善点火过程。

Conventional inertial confinement fusion or ICF experiments aim to compress a deuterium-tritium filled capsule to high densities and then to high temperatures in order to induce fusion reactions. With correct timing, an intense spike in laser power can drive a strong shock wave into the the compressed deuterium-tritium fuel to coincide with the peak compression and initiate fusion. The physics that underpins the plasma kinetics associated with launching the intense shock, and the effect of energetic or 'hot' electrons on the capsule performance, are poorly understood.My work has centred around investigating the laser-plasma-instabilities involved in launching the shock and characterising the hot electron population that they produce. These hot electrons are unavoidable in the shock ignition regime and so work is being done into whether they can be controlled to enhance the shock and improve the ignition process.