A probabilistic model of laser drive asymmetries applied to an inertial fusion energy reactor design

In the pursuit of the realization of an inertial fusion energy reactor, directly driving the fuel capsules with laser beams is a compelling design choice due to the more efficient energy coupling compared to indirect drive. However, the laser illumination symmetry necessary for achieving ignition and gain imposes stringent accuracy requirements on the laser system. We present a reactor beam port configuration in which multiple beams per port are used to dynamically shift power between different beam spot sizes as the capsule implodes, reducing the laser light blowby while maintaining uniform illumination. A probabilistic model has been developed to directly propagate the laser drive modes from stochastic system errors (target offset, beam pointing, and power imbalance) without the need for Monte Carlo simulations. This model constitutes a useful tool for the broad optimization of the laser beam geometrical configuration of future facilities.