High-Velocity Laser-Driven Implosions With Gold-Coated Microballoons

Velocities up to 108 cm s−1 have been obtained in laser implosion of gold-coated microballoons driven by irradiation at short wavelength. Despite a strongly nonuniform illumination, high neutron yield (i.e., high fuel temperature) has been obtained. Results analysis suggests that the glass shell is first decompressed by x-ray radiation from the gold coating and then accelerated by the ablation pressure.