Test of models for electron transport in laser produced plasmas

Abstract

This paper examines five different models of electron thermal transport in laser produced spherical implosions. These are classical, classical with a flux limit f, delocalization, beam deposition model, and Fokker–Planck solutions. In small targets, the results are strongly dependent on f for flux limit models, with small f’s generating very steep temperature gradients. Delocalization models are characterized by large preheat in the center of the target. The beam deposition model agrees reasonably well with the Fokker–Planck simulation results. For large, high gain fusion targets, the delocalization model shows the gain substantially reduced by the preheat. However, flux limitation models show gain largely independent of f, with the beam deposition model also showing the same high gain.