The 9th International Conference on Matter and Radiation at Extremes (ICMRE2026) ( ICMRE2026)

With the development of pulse power technology, the fast Z-pinch shows the potential of driving inertial confinement fusion. Based on the Z-pinch dynamic hohlraum (ZPDH) configuration at a future 50 MA pulsed power facility, the research on the coupling of ZPDH with double shell capsule is carried out by using the LARED code. The time-dependent radiation temperature and P2 drive asymmetries seen by the capsule are obtained, and it is recognized that the drive asymmetry is one of the important factors that reduce the implosion performance of the double-shell capsule. Then, a multi-mass-point theoretical model is proposed to study the transfer of drive asymmetry during double-shell implosions and its effect on fusion yield. It is found that the asymmetry of the radiation field causes the asymmetry of the ablated mass and velocity for the outer shell, and the asymmetry of the outer shell is transferred to the inner shell due to outer-inner shell collision. During the compression of the fuel, the inner shell shape continuously evolves, which affects the compression state of the fuel region at ignition. This model can determine the tolerance threshold of double-shell capsules to drive asymmetry—beyond this threshold, the implosion performance significantly deteriorates and the ignition becomes unattainable. Additionally, it is found that this threshold is related to the phase of drive asymmetry: double-shell capsules exhibit higher tolerance to the negative P2 asymmetry of the radiation field than to the positive P2 asymmetry.

Z-pinch dynamic hohlraum,double shell capsule,drive asymmetry,multi-mass-point model