The Ignition Physics Campaign on NIF: Status and Progress

We have made significant progress in ICF implosion performance on NIF since the 2011 IFSA. Employing a 3-shock, high adiabat CH (High-Foot) design, total neutron yields have increased 10-fold to 6.3 x10(15) (a yield of similar to 17 kJ, which is greater than the energy invested in the DT fuel similar to 12kJ). At that level, the yield from alpha self-heating is essentially equivalent to the compression yield, indicating that we are close to the alpha self-heating regime. Low adiabat, 4-shock High Density Carbon (HDC) capsules have been imploded in conventional gas-filled hohlraums, and employing a 6 ns, 2-shock pulse, HDC capsules were imploded in near-vacuum hohlraums with overall coupling similar to 98%. Both the 4-and 2-shock HDC capsules had very low mix and high yield over simulated performance. Rugby holraums have demonstrated uniform x-ray drive with minimal Cross Beam Energy Transfer (CBET), and we have made good progress in measuring and modelling growth of ablation front hydro instabilities.