XXXVII international conference on plasma physics and CF, February 8 – 12, 2010, Zvenigorod.

The Experimental Studies Conducted on the Laser Facilities of RFNC-VNIIEF.
A Review of the Recent Results

Belkov S.A., Garanin S.G., Jidkov N.V., Kochemasov G.G., Suharev S.A.

RussianFederalNuclearCenter – Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Russia,

Starting from the middle sixties of the last century RFNC-VNIIEF has been developing actively high-power lasers for applications both in laser fusion and physics of high-density energies studies. Currently these works are conducted in the Institute of Laser&Physics Research of RFNC-VNIIEF. For almost 50 years a unique set of high-power laser facilities had been created, which are in operation up to date. They are: 12-channel iodine gas laser "Iskra-5" [1], 4-channel Nd-glass laser "Luch" [2], and petawatt system "Femto" [3]. At present a new-generation laser facility of megajoule level is being developed. A brief review of the status of each facility is reported.

In 2005 "Iskra-5" facility was updated and transferred on the second harmonics (2=0.657 m). Now a large experimental series has been completed to study indirect-drive (X-ray) target compression in novel conditions. The target was a spherical copper hohlraum with a glass spherical DT-filled microcapsule in its centre. The parameters of the hohlraum were varied as well as those of the central capsule and X-ray radiation, which allowed studying both the regimes of burnout shell and ablative compression. Also a large series of experiments was carried out on the equation of state and spectral radiation opacities studying in the condition of quasi-Planck X-ray irradiation of the samples under investigation.

A large experimental series was completed on the "Luch" facility to study shock compressibility of different materials at laser pulse direct influence on the sample. Besides the target irradiation experiments channel parameter optimization is being carried out on the "Luch" facility.

Laser pulse of the duration 45 fsec and energy 30 J has been obtained on "Femto" facility. The first experiments have been started to study X-ray generation when high intensity ultrashort laser pulse irradiates flat targets.

References

[1].AnnenkovV.I., Bagretcov V.A., BezuglovV.G. and et al, Kvantovaya elektronika, 1991, 18, 536.

[2].GaraninS.G., ZareckiyA.I., Ilkaev R.I. and et al, Kvantovaya elektronika, 2005, 35, 299.

[3].BelovI.A., Buchirina O.A., Voronich I.N. and et al,In Conference Proceedings. XKharitonscientifictalks "PowerLasers and studies of physics of high density energy", Sarov, 2008, 173.

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