Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 45 / Number 2 / March 2004 / Pages 117-123
Technical Paper / Target Fabrication
Double shell targets have been built by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester and as a prelude to similar experiments on NIF. Of particular interest to ICF studies are high-precision double shell implosion targets for demonstrating thermonuclear ignition without the need for cryogenic preparation. Because the ignition tolerance to interface instabilities is rather low, the manufacturing requirements for smooth surface finishes and shell concentricity are particularly strict. This paper describes a deterministic approach to manufacturing and controlling error sources in each component. Included is the design philosophy of why certain manufacturing techniques were chosen to best reduce the errors within the target. The manufacturing plan developed for this effort created a deterministic process that, once proven, is repeatable. By taking this rigorous approach to controlling all error sources during the manufacture of each component and during assembly, we have achieved the overall 5 m dimensional requirement with sub-micron surface flaws. Strengths and weaknesses of the manufacturing process will be discussed.