Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T04:44:52.998Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Density ratios in compressions driven by radiation pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

S. Lee
Affiliation:
The Flinders University of South Australia, School of Physical Sciences, Bedford Park, S.A. 5042, Australia

Abstract

It has been recently suggested (Hora & Miley 1984) that in the cannonball scheme of laser compression the pellet may be considered to be compressed by the ‘brute force’ of the radiation pressure. For such a radiation-driven compression, this paper applies an energy balance method to give an equation fixing the radius compression ratio κ which is a key parameter for such intense compressions. A shock model is used to yield specific results. For a square-pulse driving power compressing a spherical pellet with a specific heat ratio of 5/3, a density compression ratio Γ of 27 is computed. Double (stepped) pulsing with linearly rising power enhances Γ to 1750. The value of Γ is not dependent on the absolute magnitude of the piston power, as long as this is large enough. Further enhancement of compression by multiple (stepped) pulsing becomes obvious. The enhanced compression increases the energy gain factor G for a 100 μm DT pellet driven by radiation power of 1016 W from 6 for a square pulse power with 0·5 MJ absorbed energy to 90 for a double (stepped) linearly rising pulse with absorbed energy of 0·4 MJ assuming perfect coupling efficiency.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brueckner, K. A. & Jorna, S. 1974 Rev. Mod. Phys., 46, 325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haines, M. G. 1982 Phys. Scr., T2/2, 380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hora, H. & Miley, G. H. 1984 Laser Focus/Electro-Optics, 20/2, 59.Google Scholar
Kidder, R. E. 1974 Nuclear Fusion, 14, 797.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, S. 1983 Plasma Physics, 25, 571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, S. 1984 J. Phys., D 17, 733.Google Scholar
Max, C. E. et al. 1980 Phys. Rev. Lett., 45, 28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyanaga, N. et al. 1983 Europhys. Conf. Abst. 7D Part II (Controlled Fus Aachen).Google Scholar
Mochizuki, T. et al. 1983 Japan J. Appl. Phys., 22, L133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Von Guderely, G. 1942 Luftfahrtforschung, 19, 302.Google Scholar
Yaakobi, B. et al. 1981 Opt. Comm., 39, 175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yabe, T. et al. 1975 Rept IPPJ-235 (Inst. Plasma Phys., Univ. Nagoya), 6.Google Scholar
Yabe, T. et al. 1983 Japan J. Appl. Phys., 22, L88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamanaka, C. 1985 Nuclear Fusion, 25, 1343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar