The Beamlet laser system as a prototype for the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

Author

Caird, J.A. ; Auerbach, J.M. ; Behrendt, W.C. ; Bliss, E.S. ; Barker, C. ; Campbell, J.H. ; Hackel, R.P. ; Hartley, R.G. ; Henesian, M.A. ; Hint, A.F. ; Hunt, J.T. ; Kartz, M.W. ; Lawson, J.K. ; Mathieu, F. ; Murray, J.E. ; Pollock, G.G. ; Powell, H.T. ;

Author_Institution

Lawrence Livermore Nat. Lab., CA, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1996

fDate

18-21 Nov. 1996

Abstract

Summary form only given. The National Ignition Facility is designed to ignite inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) targets using 1.8 MJ of ultraviolet (351 nm) laser light generated by frequency tripling the output of 192 neodymium glass laser beams. The Beamlet laser system is a full scale scientific prototype of one of the 192 NIF beamlines. Because the estimated cost of the NIF facility is substantial ($1.1 billion) it is imperative that the performance be cost optimized. This implies operation as close as possible to power and energy extraction limits imposed by fundamental physical constraints. Control of beam quality in the NIF and the Beamlet prototype is enhanced through the use of a deformable mirror. Beamlet employs a sophisticated suite of laser diagnostic systems to measure beam quality.

Keywords

fusion reactor ignition; laser beams; laser variables measurement; neodymium; optical harmonic generation; plasma production by laser; solid lasers; 1.8 MJ; 351 nm; Beamlet laser system; ICF targets; NIF beamlines; NIF prototype; National Ignition Facility; Nd:glass laser beams; beam quality control; cost optimization; deformable mirror; energy extraction limits; frequency tripling; fundamental physical constraints; inertial-confinement fusion; laser diagnostic systems; performance; power limits; ultraviolet laser light; Cost function; Frequency; Fusion power generation; Glass; Ignition; Laser beams; Laser fusion; Neodymium; Optical design; Prototypes;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting, 1996. LEOS 96., IEEE

Conference_Location

Boston, MA, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3160-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/LEOS.1996.571630

Filename

571630