Hydrodynamic simulations of integrated experiments planned for the OMEGA/OMEGA EP laser systems

Integrated fast-ignition experiments on the combined OMEGA/OMEGA EP laser systems have been simulated with the multidimensional hydrodynamic code DRACO. The OMEGA laser system provides up to 30 kJ of compression energy, and OMEGA EP will provide two short-pulse beams, each with energies up to 2.6 kJ. In the electron transport model included in DRACO, the relativistic electrons are introduced at the pole of a two-dimensional (2D) simulation and transported in a straight line toward the target core. The electron's energy is calculated from the laser irradiance using a semi-empirical formula. An OMEGA cryogenic DT target designed to reach a one-dimensional fuel rho R of 0.5 g cm(-2) has been simulated in 2D, with and without non-uniformities, to assess the sensitivity to energy, timing, and irradiance of the Gaussian fast-ignitor beam. For the uniform case, the neutron yield is predicted to be in excess of 10(15) (compared to similar to 10(14) without an ignitor beam) over a synchronization range of similar to 80 ps. Implosions with the ignitor beam show little decrease in the neutron yield with increasing inner-ice non-uniformity, in contrast to implosions without the ignitor beam, which show a significant decrease in neutron yield with increasing non-uniformity.