Enhancing inertial confinement fusion with doped beryllium ablator layer in indirect drive scheme

Indirect drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) holds promise for achieving practical energy generation through controlled fusion reactions. However, the efficiency of ICF is constrained by the Be ablator material used to contain the fuel. To overcome this limitation, researchers have proposed doping Be with various elements. In this study, we investigate the effects of Na and Br dopants, incorporated at concentrations of 4.86% and 2.1%, respectively, using a one-dimensional MULTI-IFE hydrodynamic code. This code serves as a numerical tool dedicated to analyzing Inertial Fusion Energy microcapsules, facilitating the examination of the Be ablator’s performance in indirect drive ICF. Our results indicate that the addition of a beryllium layer doped with Na and Br significantly enhances the target gain, elevating it from the break-even value (G ≈ 1) to approximately G ≈ 12. Furthermore, we delve into the impact of these dopants on the plasma fuel conditions during the implosion, shedding light on the underlying physics of the system. These findings demonstrate that Na and Br doping in the Be ablator represents a viable approach for improving the efficiency of indirect drive ICF, potentially paving the way for the development of practical fusion energy systems.