Modeling and experiments of x-ray ablation of National Ignition Facility first wall materials

This paper discusses results of modeling and experiments on the x-ray response of selected materials relevant to NIF target chamber design. X-ray energy deposition occurs in such small characteristic depths (on the order of a micron) that thermal conduction and hydrodynamic motion significantly affect the material response, even during the typical 10-ns pulses. The finite-difference ablation model integrates four separate processes: x-ray energy deposition, heat conduction, hydrodynamics, and surface vaporization. Experiments have been conducted at the Nova laser facility in Livermore on response of various materials to NIF-relevant x-ray fluences. Fused silica, Si nitride, B carbide, B, Si carbide, C, Al2O3, and Al were tested. Response was diagnosed using post-shot examinations of the surfaces with SEM and atomic force microscopes. Judgements were made about the dominant removal mechanisms for each material; relative importances of these processes were also studied with the x-ray response model