Examining the radiation drive asymmetries present in the high foot series of implosion experiments at the National Ignition Facility

This paper details and examines the origins of radiation drive asymmetries present during the initial High Foot implosion experiments. Such asymmetries are expected to reduce the stagnation pressure and the resulting yield of these experiments by several times. Analysis of reemission and dual axis shock timing experiments indicates that a flux asymmetry, with a P2/P0 amplitude that varies from -10% to -5%, is present during the first shock of the implosion. This first shock asymmetry can be corrected through adjustments to the laser cone fraction. A thin shell model and more detailed radiation hydrodynamic calculations indicate that an additional negative P2/P0 asymmetry during the second or portions of the third shock is required to reach the observed amount of asymmetry in the shape of the ablator at peak implosion velocity. In conjunction with symmetry data from the x-ray self emission produced at stagnation, these models also indicate that after the initially negative P2/P0 flux asymmetry, the capsule experiences a positive P2/P0 flux asymmetry that develops at or before -2 ns into the peak of the laser power. Here, direct evidence for this inference, using measurements of the x-ray emission produced by the lasers irradiating the hohlraum, is presented. These data indicate that the reduction in the transmitted inner laser cone energy results from impeded propagation through the plasma associated with the ablation of the capsule target. This paper also correlates measurements of the outer cone laser deposition location with variations in the observed x-ray self emission shape from experiments conducted with nominally the same input conditions. Published by AIP Publishing.