Kinetic simulations of fuel ion transport in ICF target implosions

A numerical code solving the ion Vlasov-Fokker-Planck kinetic equation is used to compute the hydrodynamics of the thermonuclear fuel in inertial confinement fusion pellets. Compared with standard hydrodynamics calculations, the kinetic results show enhanced ion transport between the core and the outer part of the target. Consequences are discussed in the case of plastic shells filled with deuterium gas and cryogenic deuterium-tritium targets envisioned for achieving ignition with Megajoule-class lasers. (author)