Hydrodynamic simulations of integrated experiments planned for the OMEGA/OMEGA EP laser systems

Integrated fast-ignition experiments on the combined OMEGA/OMEGA EP laser systems have been simulated with the multidimensional hydrodynamic code DRACO . The OMEGA laser system provides up to 30 kJ of compression energy, and OMEGA EP will provide two short-pulse beams, each with energies up to 2.6 kJ. In the electron transport model included in DRACO , the relativistic electrons are introduced at the pole of a two-dimensional (2D) simulation and transported in a straight line toward the target core. The electron's energy is calculated from the laser irradiance using a semi-empirical formula. An OMEGA cryogenic DT target designed to reach a one-dimensional fuel ρ R of 0.5 g cm −2 has been simulated in 2D, with and without non-uniformities, to assess the sensitivity to energy, timing, and irradiance of the Gaussian fast-ignitor beam. For the uniform case, the neutron yield is predicted to be in excess of 10 15 (compared to ∼10 14 without an ignitor beam) over a synchronization range of ∼80 ps. Implosions with the ignitor beam show little decrease in the neutron yield with increasing inner-ice non-uniformity, in contrast to implosions without the ignitor beam, which show a significant decrease in neutron yield with increasing non-uniformity.