Several inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule designs have been proposed as possible candidates for achieving ignition by indirect drive on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser [Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)]. This article reviews these designs, their predicted performance using one-, two-, and three-dimensional numerical simulations, and their fabricability. Recent design work at a peak x-ray drive temperature of 250 eV with either 900 or 1300 kJ total laser energy confirms earlier capsule performance estimates [Lindl, Phys. Plasmas 2, 3933 (1995)] that were based on hydrodynamic stability arguments. These simulations at 250 eV and others at the nominal 300 eV drive show that capsules having either copper doped beryllium (Be+Cu) or polyimide (C22H10N2O4) ablators have favorable implosion stability and material fabrication properties. Prototypes of capsules using these ablator materials are being constructed using several techniques: brazing together machined hemishells (Be+Cu), sputter deposition (Be+Cu), and monomer deposition followed by thermal processing (polyimide).

4‐(Phenylethynyl‐α,β‐13C)phthalic anhydride (PEPA) and 13C‐labeled phenylethynyl‐terminated imide (PETI) oligomers were synthesized, and solid‐state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to determine the structure of cured oligomers. Solid‐state 13C NMR spectra were collected before and after thermal curing. Using solid‐state 13C NMR difference spectroscopy, several cure products were identified. The observed 13C NMR resonances were assigned to four different classes of cure products: aromatics, products from backbone addition (substituted stilbenes and tetraphenylethanes), polyenes, and cyclobutadiene cyclodimers. The effects of postcuring and oligomer chain length on the structure of the cured resins were examined. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3486–3497, 2000

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The focus of recent efforts at LLNL has been to demonstrate that vapor deposition processing is a suitable technique to form polyimide fnms with sufficient strength for current national ignition facility target specifications. Production of polyimide films with controlled stoichiometry was acccomplished by: 1) depositing a novel co-functional monomer and 2) matching the vapor pressure of each monomer in PMDA/ODA co-depositions. The sublimation and deposition rate for the monomers was determined over a range of temperatures. Polyimide films with thicknesses up to 30 p.m were fabricated. Composition, structure and strength were assessed using FTIR, SEM and biaxial burst testing. The best films had a tensile strength of approximately 100 MPa. A qualitative relationship between the stoichiometry and tensile strength of the film was demonstrated. Thin films (-3.5 ym) were typically smooth with an rms of 1.5 nm.

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