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The National Ignition Facility and Basic Science. Presentation to San Diego Summer School. Richard N. Boyd Science Director, National Ignition Facility July 31, 2007.
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The National Ignition Facility and Basic Science Presentation to San Diego Summer School Richard N. Boyd Science Director, National Ignition Facility July 31, 2007 Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48.
NIF has 3 Missions National Ignition Facility BasicScience Stockpile Stewardship FusionEnergy Peer-reviewed Basic Science is a fundamental part of NIF’s go-forward plan R. Boyd 07/31/07
Our vision: open NIF to the outside scientific community to pursue frontier HED laboratory science Element formation in stars The Big Bang Planetary system formation Forming Earth-like planets Chemistry of life [http://www.nas.edu/bpa/reports/cpu/index.html R. Boyd 07/31/07
The implosion process is similar forboth direct and indirect drive t = 0 t = 15 ns Low-z Ablator for efficient absorption Cold, dense main Fuel (1000 g/cm3) DT gas 2 mm 100 m Cryogenic Fuel for efficient compression Hot spot (10 keV) Spherical ablation with pulse shaping results in a rocket-like implosion of near Fermi-degenerate fuel Spherical collapse of the shell produces a central hot spot surrounded by cold, dense main fuel R. Boyd 07/31/07
We have 30 types of diagnosticsystems planned for NIC Diagnostic Alignment System Near Backscatter Imager Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM) X-ray imager Streaked x-ray detector FFLEX Hard x-ray spectrometer Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM) DANTE Soft x-ray temperature Static x-ray imager VISAR Velocity Measurements Full Aperture Backscatter Cross Timing System We have already fielded ~ half of all the types of diagnostic systems needed for NIF science R. Boyd 07/31/07
NIF’s Unprecedented Scientific Environments: •T >108 K matter temperature • r >103 g/cc density Those are both 7x what the Sun does! Helium burning, stage 2 instellar evolution, occurs at 2x108 K! • rn = 1019 neutrons/cc Core-collapse Supernovae, colliding neutron stars, operate at ~1020! • Electron Degenerate conditions Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities for (continued) laboratory study. These apply to Type Ia Supernovae! • Pressure > 1011 bar Only need ~Mbar in shocked hydrogen to study the EOS in Jupiter & Saturn These certainly qualify as “unprecedented.” And Extreme! R. Boyd 07/31/07
NIF flux (cm-2s-1) vs other neutron sources 1040 1020 100 1033-36{ Supernovae Neutrons/cm2•s 1014-16{ 1013-15{ 108-9{ LANSCE/WNR Reactor SNS NIF R. Boyd 07/31/07
The NRC committee on HEDP issued the “X-Games” report detailing this new science frontier Findings: • HEDP offers frontier researchopportunities in: - Plasma physics - Laser and particle beam physics - Condensed matter and materials science - Nuclear physics - Atomic and molecular physics - Fluid dynamics - Magnetohydrodynamics - Astrophysics NIF is the premier facility for exploring extreme conditions of HEDP R. Boyd 07/31/07
The NRC committee on the Physics of the Universe highlighted the new frontier of HED Science Eleven science questions for the new century: 2. What is the nature of dark energy? — Type 1A SNe (burn, hydro, rad flow, EOS, opacities) 4. Did Einstein have the last word on gravity? — Accreting black holes (photoionized plasmas, spectroscopy) 6. How do cosmic accelerators work and what are they accelerating? —Cosmic rays (strong field physics, nonlinear plasma waves) 8. Are there new states of matter at exceedingly high density and temperature? —Neutron star interior (photoionized plasmas, spectroscopy, EOS) NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES 10. How were the elements from iron to uranium made and ejected? —Core-collapse SNe (reactions off excited states, turbulent hydro, rad flow) • HEDP provides crucial experiments to interpret astrophysical observations • The field should be better coordinated across Federal agencies R. Boyd 07/31/07
Experiments on NIF can address key physics questions throughout the stellar life cycle Ques. 2, 10 (Dark energy; the elements) Stellar life Stellar death Ques. 2, 10 (Dark energy; the elements) Turbulent hydro rad flow Opacities, EOS Stellar post-mortem Supernova shocks Ques. 6 (Cosmic accel.) Ques. 4, 8 (Gravity; HED matter) Photoionized plasma Particle acceleration R. Boyd 07/31/07
Core-collapse supernova explosion mechanisms remain uncertain • SN observations suggest rapid core penetration to the “surface” • This observed turbulent core inversion is not yet fully understood Jet model Standard (spherical shock) model Density t = 1800 sec 9 x 109cm 1012cm [Kifonidis et al., AA. 408, 621 (2003)] • Pre-supernova structure is multilayered • Supernova explodes by a strong shock • Turbulent hydrodynamic mixing results • Core ejection depends on this turbulent hydro. • Accurate 3D modeling is required, but difficult • Scaled 3D testbed experiments are possible 6 x 109cm [Khokhlov et al., Ap.J.Lett. 524, L107 (1999)] R. Boyd 07/31/07
Core-collapse supernova explosionmechanisms remain uncertain • A new model of Supernova explosions: from Adam Burrows et al. • A cutaway view shows the inner regions of a star 25 times more massive than the sun during the last split second before exploding as a SN, as visualized in a computer simulation. Purple represents the star’s inner core; Green (Brown) represents high (low) heat content • In the Burrows model, after about half a second, the collapsing inner core begins to vibrate in “g-mode” oscillations. These grow, and after about 700 ms, create sound waves with frequencies of 200 to 400 hertz. This acoustic power couples to the outer regions of the star with high efficiency, causing the SN to explode From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11463498/ • Burrows’ solution hasn’t been accepted by everyone; it’s very different from any previously proposed R. Boyd 07/31/07
Opacity experiments on iron led to an improved understanding of Cepheid Variable pulsation 2 OPAL, Z = 0.02 • The measured opacities of Fe under relevant conditions were larger than originally calculated • New OPAL simulations reproduced the data • The new opacity simulations allowed Cepheid Variable pulsations to be correctly modeled • “Micro input physics” affecting the “macro output dynamics” Fe M shell Cox Tabor 0.74 Los Alamos, Z = 0.02 H, OPAL, Z = 0.00 6M H He 1 He+ OPAL 5M Fe L shell and Log kR (cm2/g) 0.72 P1 / P0 C, O, Ne K shell 4M 4M 5M Ar, Fe K shell 0 6M 7M 0.70 Observations 1 3 5 7 -1 4 5 6 7 8 P0 (days) Log T(K) [Rogers & Iglesias, Science 263,50 (1994); Da Silva et al., PRL 69, 438 (1992)] R. Boyd 07/31/07
Accreting neutron stars and black holes are observed through the x-ray spectral emissions from the surrounding photoionized plasma Accretion Disk Model Atmosphere and Corona Red-Giant star Neutron star i 109 - 1010 cm 106 cm Accretion stream Clouds 1010 - 1011 cm Chandra Spectrum of Cyg X-3 X-ray Binary Accretion disk [Jimenez - Garate et al., Ap.J. 581, 1297 (2002)] 120 80 Counts 40 0 3 4 5 6 7 Wavelength (Å) [Paerels et al., Ap.J. Lett 533, L135 (2000)] Scaled experiments of photoionized plasmas on NIF cantest the models used to interpret accreting compact objects R. Boyd 07/31/07
Experiments on the Z magnetic pinch facility have demonstrated x-ray photoionized plasmas 2000 • Experiments at ~20, demonstrated at ‘Z’ • Astrophysics codes disagree on line shape and <Z> by up to ~2x, showing the need for laboratory data • NIF will allow the astrophysics relevant regimes of ~ 102-103 to be accessed 1500 1000 Intensity 500 0 -500 12 13 14 15 16 Wavelength 0.99 keV 0.77 keV [R.F. Heeter et al., RSI 72, 1224 (2001)] Exp’l data NIMP, w/ rad. 0.8 GALAXY, w/ rad. 0.6 NIMP, w/o rad. Tr = 165 eV Te = 150 eV Ti = 150 eV Charge state fraction 0.4 0.2 0.0 14 15 16 17 18 19 Iron charge state [S. Rose et al., J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 37, L337 (2004)] R. Boyd 07/31/07
Fundamental questions in planetary formation models can be addressed on NIF NIF will be able to create and characterize a wide range of high - (P, ) states of matter found in the interiors of planets R. Boyd 07/31/07
Solid-state materials science and lattice dynamics at ultrahigh pressures and strain rates define a new frontier of condensed matter science Lattice Dynamics Phase Diagram of Iron 2000 Temperature (K) 1000 0 Dynamic Diffraction Lattice Msmt 0 10 20 Pressure (GPa) Iron, Pshk ~ 20 GPa Unexplored regimes of solid-state dynamics at extremely high pressures and strain rates will be accessible on NIF [D.H. Kalantar et al., PRL 95 ,075502 (2005); J. Hawreliak et al., PRB, in press (2006)] R. Boyd 07/31/07
Three university teams are starting to prepare for NIF shots in unique regimes of HED physics Astrophysics -hydrodynamics Planetary physics - EOS Nonlinear optical physics - LPI Raymond Jeanloz, PI, UC Berkeley Thomas Duffy, Princeton U. Russell Hemley, Carnegie Inst. Yogendra Gupta, Wash. State U. Paul Loubeyre, U. Pierre & Marie Curie, and CEA LLNL EOS team Christoph Niemann, PI, UCLA NIF Professor Chan Joshi, UCLA Warren Mori, UCLA Bedros Afeyan, Polymath David Montgomery, LANL Andrew Schmitt, NRL LLNL LPI team Paul Drake, PI, U. of Mich. David Arnett, U. of Arizona, Adam Frank, U. of Rochester, Tomek Plewa, U. of Chicago, Todd Ditmire, U. Texas-Austin LLNL hydrodynamics team R. Boyd 07/31/07
} } Excitation Energy Excitation Energy Spin ( ) Spin ( ) The short time scale of a NIF burn matches the lifetime of “quasi-continuum” states NIF “target” states NIF will cause reactions on non-isomeric short-lived states R. Boyd 07/31/07
A simple toy model can be used to model reactions on excited states at NIF • Divide NIF “burn” time into 100 equal-flux time bins (t≈50-400 fs) • Assume 14 MeV neutrons induce (n,3n) rather than (n,2n) on all nuclei still at Ex≈Sn after 1 bin and that these nuclei • Include two neutron energy bins: • 14 MeV: can do (n,n’) & (n,2n) on ground and (n,3n) on excited states • Tertiary (En>14 MeV) neutrons (103-5 fewer than at 14 MeV) do (n,3n) on ground states A-4 A-3 A-2 A-1 A This type of analysis is quantitatively understood at LLNL R. Boyd 07/31/07
Reactions on excited states are responsible for almost all of the higher order (n,xn) products at NIF Assumptions • 5 x 1015neutrons • Higher yield shots produce a weaker signal due to competition from multi-step (n,2n) • 250 µm initial diameter • bin = 50 fs • 1:103 high energy “tertiaries” • Tertiaries also mask excited state effects Reaction Product Ratios for Different Excited State Lifetimes 0.002 0.002 Value 0.001 0.001 0.000 A-2/A-1 A-3/A-2 A-4/A-3 Ratio NIF allows us to measure the lifetimes of highly excited states R. Boyd 07/31/07
Stellar Hydrogen-Burning Reactions R. Boyd 07/31/07
Comparison of 3He(4He,)7Be measured at an accelerator lab and using NIF Accelerator-Based Experiments NIF-Based Experiments CH 3He(4He,)7Be Ablator 0.6 DT S-Factor (keV.barn) Resonance Ice 10173He atoms 0.4 DT Gas Gamow window 0.2 0 400 800 E (keV) High Count rate (3x105 atoms/shot) Energy window is better Integral experiment 7Be background Mono-energetic Energy too high Low event rate (few events/month) Not performed at relevant energies X X X X R. Boyd 07/31/07
Abundance after decay 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 Mass Number (A) A unique NIF opportunity: Study ofa Three-Body Reaction in the r-Process • Currently believed to take place in supernovae, but we don’t know for sure • r-process abundances depend on: Nuclear Masses far from stability • Weak decay rates far from stability • The cross section for the a+a+n9Be reaction R. Boyd 07/31/07
a+a+n9Be is the “Gatekeeper” for the r-Process • If this reaction is strong, 9Be becomes abundant, a+9Be 12C+n is frequent, and the light nuclei will all have all been captured into the seeds by the time the r-Process seeds get to ~Fe • If it’s weak, less 12C is made, and the seeds go up to mass 100 u or so; this seems to be what a successful r-Process (at the neutron star site) requires 9Be a During its 10-16 s half-life, a 8Be can capture a neutron to make 9Be, in the r-process environment, andeven in the NIF target 8Be a n • The NIF target would be a mixture of 2H and 3H, to make the neutrons, with some 4He (and more 4He will be made during ignition). This type of experiment can’t be done with any other facility that has ever existed R. Boyd 07/31/07
The NRC committee on the Physics of the Universe highlighted the new frontier of HED Science Eleven science questions for the new century: 2. What is the nature of dark energy? — Type 1A SNe (burn, hydro, rad flow, EOS, opacities) 4. Did Einstein have the last word on gravity? — Accreting black holes (photoionized plasmas, spectroscopy) 6. How do cosmic accelerators work and what are they accelerating? —Cosmic rays (strong field physics, nonlinear plasma waves) 8. Are there new states of matter at exceedingly high density and temperature? —Neutron star interior (photoionized plasmas, spectroscopy, EOS) NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES 10. How were the elements from iron to uranium made and ejected? —Core-collapse SNe (reactions off excited states, turbulent hydro, rad flow) • HEDP provides crucial experiments to interpreting astrophysical observations • We envision that NIF will play a key role in these measurements R. Boyd 07/31/07