***Progress in IFE Technology: October-November 1999***

**[Laser Interactions and Final Optics Studies:]{.underline}**

M. S. Tillack, F. Najmabadi, D. Blair, Z. Wang

UC San Diego

-   A new laboratory for IFE laser chamber research has been established
    at UC San Diego. Up-to-date information regarding this laboratory
    can be found at <http://aries.ucsd.edu/IFE/>

-   A 10 Hz, 2-J pulsed YAG laser (purchased with UCSD internal funds)
    provides the primary energy source. The laser is equipped with
    harmonic generator crystals providing laser light at 1-, 1/2-, 1/3-
    and 1/4-micron wavelengths. The laser arrived recently and has been
    installed and tested. A class-100 clean room environment has been
    installed to allow optics testing near the damage threshold with
    controlled surface impurities.

-   A variety of other equipment and diagnostics was acquired during the
    past three months (see <http://aries.ucsd.edu/IFE/equipment.shtml>).
    The principal diagnostics will include pulse energy, spatial and
    temporal beam profile, wavefront characterization and post-test
    interferometic microscopy. Most of the diagnostics are
    \"off-the-shelf\" with the exception of a Shack-Hartmann wavefront
    sensor, which is being assembled on site due to cost considerations.

-   Near-term experiments are being planned on bare metal surfaces at
    normal and grazing incidence for comparison with model predictions.

**[Integration, Safety & Environment, Final Focus Magnet
Shielding:]{.underline}**

W. R. Meier, J. F. Latkowski, R. W. Moir, S. Reyes

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

-   LLNL organized and conducted a conference call at the end of October
    to discuss the funding situation and R&D priorities for FY00. Many
    from the IFE technology community and representatives from the
    various driver groups (HI\'s, DPSSLs, KrF) participated. A summary
    of community input was compiled and forwarded to DOE OFES.

-   An analysis of the impact of target gain, driver efficiency and
    driver cost on IFE cost of electricity was completed for
    presentation at the Japan/US Workshop on Laser-Driven IFE.
    Increasing target gain was found to have the highest leverage for
    improving plant economics.

-   The latest iteration of heavy ion final focus magnet shielding
    calculations suggest that new, high-T~c~ superconductors (BSCCO-2212
    and -2223, for example) offer great promise for reducing magnet
    refrigeration requirements and neutron activation concerns while
    maintaining shielding thicknesses at reasonable levels.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Modifications were made to the CHEMCON code, which is used for
    long-term heat transfer calculations related to safety analyses, to
    enable it to simulate the oxidation of carbon composite structures
    in the SOMBRERO design. With the modifications, CHEMCON now
    correctly follows the propagation of the oxidation front.

**[Target Fabrication, Injection, and Tracking:]{.underline}**

D. Goodin, R. Petzoldt, and A. Nobile

General Atomics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos
National Laboratory

-   An initial draft of the System Design Description for the new
    experimental target injection and tracking system was prepared.
    System functions and design requirements were defined.

**[Dry Wall Target Chamber Dynamics]{.underline}**

R. R. Peterson

University of Wisconsin at Madison

-   Initial shock tube experiments confirm loading on simple cylinders
    as predicted by the RAGE 3-D radiation-hydrodynamics code.
    Additional shock tube experiments and RAGE calculations for more
    complicated geometries are planned.

-   Wall erosion due to thermal evaporation has been studied for
    graphite under SOMBRERO conditions.

-   Experimental data for the thermal conductivity of graphite shows
    reduced neutron damage effect at expected (SOMBRERO) irradiation
    temperatures. Based upon this data, it appears that the required
    thermal conductivity of 115 W/m-K should be achievable.

**[Thick-Liquid Protection:]{.underline}**

P. Peterson, N. Morley, and M. Yoda

UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, and Georgia Tech.

-   Fluid mechanics and inertial fusion energy (IFE) researchers from
    LLNL, LBNL, Georgia Tech., UCLA and UC Berkeley met on November 19
    at UC Berkeley to discuss the use of thick-liquid blankets for
    protection of IFE target chambers.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   The presentations and discussion focused on the three primary goals
    for hydraulics research for thick-liquid protection in the next 4
    years: 1) Demonstration of pocket formation via single jet
    optimization, 2) Demonstration of pocket disruption and droplet
    clearing, and 3) Support of integrated final-focus system design.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Based on the productivity of the workshop, it was agreed to arrange
    a video-conference workshop in approximately 4 months to continue
    collaboration, and to arrange another workshop prior to the Oct.
    15-20, 2000 Fusion Topical Meeting in Park City, Utah. This workshop
    would include both liquid hydraulics and chamber dynamics
    presentations.

[Use of the National Ignition Facility for Inertial Fusion Science and
Energy Development:]{.underline}

P.F. Peterson, R. Petzoldt, K. Schultz, and M. Tillack

UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, General Atomics, and
UC San Diego

-   A workshop for exploring Frontier Science at the National Ignition
    Facility (NIF) was held October 4-6 in Pleasanton, CA. NIF will play
    a central role in IFE development. Most importantly, the
    demonstration of ignition and gain on NIF addresses the most
    important feasibility and scientific issues for IFE. Furthermore,
    NIF will provide additional unique capabilities for target physics,
    target systems, and chamber dynamics and condensation experiments.

***[Recent Publications and Presentations]{.underline}***

L. C. Elwell, J. A. Collins, M. Yoda, and S. I. Abdel-Khalik, \"Dynamics
of obliquely oscillated turbulent free rectangular jets,\" American
Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics Annual Meeting, New Orleans,
LA (Nov. 1999).

D. Goodin, \"IFE Target Injection and Tracking,\" Presented at the
Japan/US Workshop on IFE, Osaka, Japan (Nov. 1999).\
\
D. Goodin, \"Mass Production of Inertial Fusion Energy Targets,\"
Presented at the Japan/US Workshop on IFE, Osaka, Japan (Nov. 1999).

D. A. Haynes, \"Radiative Properties of Hot, Dense, and Homogeneous
Matter,\" Presented at the National Ignition Facility Science Users
Workshop, Pleasanton, CA (Oct. 1999).

J. Hoffer, \"Alternative Fuels for ICF targets,\" Presented at the 13th
Target Fabrication Meeting, Catalina, CA (Nov. 1999).

P. A. House, \"Beam line and first vessel wall shielding in HYLIFE-II,\"
UCRL-UCID-136107, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Nov. 1999).

G. L. Kulcinski, \"Electricity Production from Laser Fusion Reactors:
Technology Aspects of Power Conversion Chambers,\" Presented at the
International Forum on Advanced High Power Lasers and Applications,
Osaka, Japan (Nov. 1999).

G. L. Kulcinski, \"Non-Electrical Power, Near Term Applications of
Fusion Energy,\" Presented at the 18th IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion
Engineering, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 1999).

G. L. Kulcinski, \"Realizing the Benefits of Fusion Energy in Our
Lifetime,\" Presented at Fusion Power Associates Annual Meeting,
Washington DC (Oct. 1999)

J. F. Latkowski, B. G. Logan, L. J. Perkins, W. R. Meier, R. W. Moir, S.
Atzeni, and J. Sanz, \"Safety and Environmental Advantages of Using
Tritium-Lean Targets for Inertial Fusion Energy,\" Presented at the
First International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and
Applications, Bordeaux, France (Sep. 1999).

J. F. Latkowski, R. W. Moir, and P. A. House, \"Nuclear Heating,
Radiation Damage, and Waste Management Options for the HYLIFE-II Final
Focus Magnets,\" Presented at the First International Conference on
Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, Bordeaux, France (Sep. 1999).

J. F. Latkowski, D. E. Cullen, and J. Sanz, \"Evaluation of HYLIFE-II
and SOMBRERO Using 175- and 566-Group Neutron Transport and Activation
Cross Sections,\" Presented at the First International Symposium on
Fusion Nuclear Technology, Rome, Italy (Sep. 1999). Submitted to Fusion
Engineering and Design.

J. F. Latkowski, \"Thoughts on Expanding International Energy Agency
Tasks on Radiation Damage in Fusion Materials to Include Activities in
Inertial Fusion Energy,\" Presented to the International Energy
Agency\'s Executive Committee on Radiation Damage in Fusion Materials,
Colorado Springs, CO (Oct. 1999).

W. R. Meier, \"Inertial Fusion Energy Technology - Current Activities
and Future Plans,\" Invited talk presented at the 18th IEEE/NPSS
Symposium on Fusion Engineering, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 1999).

W. R. Meier, \"Laser IFE Economics - Importance of Target Gain, Driver
Efficiency and Driver Cost,\" Presented at the Japan/US Workshop on IFE,
Osaka, Japan (Nov. 1999).

W. R. Meier and K. R. Schultz, \"IFE Program - Technology Development
Activities and Plans,\" Presented at the 13th Target Fabrication
Meeting, Catalina, CA (Nov. 1999).

R. W. Moir, "Grazing incidence liquid metal mirrors (GILMM) for
radiation hardened final optics for laser inertial fusion energy power
plants," Presented at the First International Symposium on Fusion
Nuclear Technology, Rome, Italy (Sep. 1999). Submitted to Fusion
Engineering and Design.

R. W. Moir, "Liquid walls for fusion reaction chambers," Submitted to
Comments on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (Sep. 1999).

R. W. Moir and P. A. House, \"Pocket geometry options,\" Presented at
the Liquid Protection Workshop, Berkeley, CA (Nov. 1999).

R. R. Peterson, G. L. Kulcinski, E. A. Mogahed, and J. F. Santarius,
\"Target Chamber Issues for Direct-Drive Targets,\" Presented at the IFE
Direct-Drive Workshop, General Atomics, San Diego, CA (Sep. 1999).

R. R. Peterson, T. W. L. Sanford, R. E. Olson, R. C. Mock, W. Matuska,
R. P. Weaver, and M. L. Gittings, \"Diagnostic Hole Closure Calculations
for Z-Pinch-Driven Hohlraums on Z,\" Presented at the 1999 Meeting of
the Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society, Seattle
WA (Nov. 1999).

R. Petzoldt, \"Target Injection and Tracking for IFE,\" Presented at the
Symposium on Fusion Engineering, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 1999).\
\
R. Petzoldt, D. Goodin, and N. Siegel, \"Status of Target Injection and
Tracking Studies for Inertial Fusion Energy,\" Poster presentation at
the 13th Target Fabrication Meeting, Catalina, CA (Nov. 1999). Paper
submitted to Fusion Technology.

S. Reyes, J. F. Latkowski, and W. R. Meier, \"Radiation Damage and Waste
Management Options for the SOMBRERO Final Focus System and Neutron
Dumps,\" Presented at the First International Conference on Inertial
Fusion Sciences and Applications, Bordeaux, France (Sep. 1999).

J. Sanz, P. Yuste, S. Reyes, and J. F. Latkowski, \"Efficient Modeling
for Pulsed Activation in Inertial Fusion Energy Reactors,\" Presented at
the First International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, Rome,
Italy (Sep. 1999). Submitted to Fusion Engineering and Design.

M. E. Sawan, R. R. Peterson, S. Yu, \"Shielding Analysis for a Heavy Ion
Beam Chamber with Plasma Channels for Ion Transport,\" Presented at the
First International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, Rome, Italy
(Sep. 1999). Submitted to Fusion Engineering and Design.

M. S. Tillack and N. Basu, \"Simulation of gas dynamic behavior in
dry-wall inertial fusion energy chambers,\" Presented at the 18th
IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 1999).

M. Yoda, L. Elwell, J. Collins, and S. Abdel-Khalik, \"Stationary and
obliquely oscillated liquid sheets for IFE reactor first walls,\"
Presented at the Liquid Protection Workshop, Berkeley, CA (Nov. 1999).

Various members of the IFE community made presentations at the workshop
for Frontier Science at the National Ignition Facility. Presentations
were made by M. Tabak and D. Callahan-Miller of LLNL (target physics),
P. Peterson of UCB and M. Tillack of UCSD (target chambers), D. Eder of
LLNL (NIF target chamber capabilities and constraints), S. Reyes of LLNL
(safety and neutronics), and R. Petzoldt of LBNL and K. Schultz of
General Atomics (target fabrication and injection).