Equation of state problems in inertial confinement fusion

Abstract

An analysis is made of the equation of state problems in inertial confinement fusion. After reviewing the need for compression for inertial confinement fusion along the lines of the classical self similarity model which is derived in a modified way with indications of the equation of state, the problems of the central core ignition are examined with respect to the equation of state. A basic difficulty is elaborated in the ‘scape goat diagram’. After describing alternative compression schemes such as non-linear force and cannon ball, the two temperature equation of state is developed with electronic and ionic contributions following the ideal gas, the Debye-Grüneisen equation of state, the solid-gas interpolation and the SESAME tables. A remarkable discrepancy for the isothermal diagrams is shown between the general result and the result based on the earlier McCarthy–Kalitkin scheme.