A. D. Ellis, K. M. Campbell, A. J. Mackinnon, F. D. Lee, M. J. Edwards, E. A. Williams, R. L. Costa, C. Marshall, G. D. Power, M. B. Schneider, R. E. Turner, F. Weber, J. R. Murray, M. J. May, D. L. James, R. J. Wallace, J. W. McDonald, P. E. Young, P. Springer, D. H. Munro, M. S. Singh, C. H. Still, J. H. Kamperschroer, B. K. Young, J. P. Holder, J. R. Celeste, M. J. Eckart, B. J. MacGowan, P. Watts, C. A. Haynam, J. Kimbrough, S. N. Dixit, M. Landon, P. J. Wegner, O. L. Landen, D. H. Kalantar, L. J. Suter, S. H. Glenzer, D. C. Eder, A. E. Koniges, R. Shepherd, R. L. Kauffman, M. A. Henesian, K. R. Manes, H. A. Baldis, R. K. Kirkwood, J. Menapace, D. E. Hinkel, A. B. Langdon, K. S. Jancaitis, G. L. Tietbohl, H. C. Bruns, E. L. Dewald, B. M. VanWonterghem, D. Hargrove, S. I. Moses, R. F. Heeter, J. A. Emig, A. Warrick, J. Schein, D. E. Bower, C. Niemann, S. Compton, G. Bonanno, D. H. Froula, G. Holtmeier, V. Rekow, J. A. Ruppe

Laser Coupling to Reduced-scale Targets at NIF Early Light

Deposition of maximum laser energy into a small, high-Z enclosure in a short laser pulse creates a hot environment. Such targets were recently included in an experimental campaign using the first four of the 192 beams of the National Ignition Facility [J.A. Paisner, E.M. Campbell, and W.J. Hogan, Fusion Technology 26, 755 (1994)], under construction at the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These targets demonstrate good laser coupling, reaching a radiation temperature of 340 eV. In addition, the Raman backscatter spectrum contains features consistent with Brillouin backscatter of Raman forward scatter [A.B. Langdon and D.E. Hinkel, Physical Review Letters 89, 015003 (2002)]. Also, NIF Early Light diagnostics indicate that 20% of the direct backscatter from these reduced-scale targets is in the polarization orthogonal to that of the incident light.