激光聚变点火内爆热斑界面不稳定性非线性流动及其对中心点火影响的基础性问题研究

Now, the indirect-driven central ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) of US is facing a great scientific risk resulting from the nonlinear growth of hydrodynamic instabilities in implosions. Hydrodynamic instabilities play a critical role in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and national defense fusion physics, which, meanwhile, relate to supernova explosions in astrophysics. It involves multi-scale strong nonlinear plasma flows and hence belongs to a cross-subject of physics, mechanics, and mathematics. The experiment results on NIF and the corresponding numerical simulation results indicate that the nonlinear growth of hydrodynamic instability at the hot-spot interface is the main holdback to arrive alpha-particle self-heating. In this project, we adopt a combined research method including theoretical analyses, numerical simulations, and laboratory experiments. We focus on the study of physical mechanisms of hydrodynamic instabilities in ICF implosions. In fact, we can take advantage of our strong knowledge background on hydrodynamic instabilities in ICF implosions and the national top-ranking conditions of numerical simulations and laser facilities, investigating key issues of hydrodynamic instabilities in the implosion of laser-driven fusion ignition. The results can support the research of ICF ignition target design of China, and improve the understanding of related process and rule in the national defense fusion physics and astrophysics.

目前美国国家点火装置(NIF)上间接驱动中心点火正面临内爆流体不稳定性的巨大科学风险。流体不稳定性是惯性约束聚变(ICF)和国防内爆研究的关键基础问题，也是天体物理中超新星爆炸等重要研究内容。激光聚变点火内爆非线性流体不稳定性问题涉及多尺度强非线性复杂流动，属于物理、力学和数学的交叉学科课题。近来NIF上点火内爆实验以及数值模拟分析都表明热斑界面流体不稳定性非线性发展是影响粒子自加热形成点火热斑的最关键障碍，本项目针对这一重大问题，注重物理规律理解，利用多年流体不稳定性扎实物理基础、国内一流模拟条件和神光系列装置实验条件，采用解析理论、数值模拟和物理实验分析相结合的研究方法和由简单到复杂分阶段逐级分解的研究方法，开展点火内爆热斑界面流体不稳定性非线性流动的关键基础问题研究，期待获得多项国际创新成果，为我国点火靶设计提供重要的物理基础支持，同时深化国防内爆和天体物理相关问题的物理理解。