Drive Asymmetry and the Origin of Turbulence in an ICF Implosion

2D and 3D numerical simulations with the adaptive mesh refinement Eulerian radiation-hydrocode RAGE at unprecedented spatial resolution are used to investigate the connection between drive asymmetry and the generation of turbulence in the DT fuel in a simplified inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) implosion. Long-wavelength deviations from spherical symmetry in the pressure drive lead to the generation of coherent vortical structures in the DT gas and it is the three-dimensional instability of these structures that in turn leads to turbulence and mix. The simulations suggest that this mechanism may be an additional important source of mix in ICF implosions. Applications to target ignition at the National Ignition Facility are briefly discussed.