Abstract
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory uses the world’s largest and most
energetic laser system to explore Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High-Energy-Density (HED) physics, with the
potential of creating pressure and density conditions normally found in the cores of stars or large planets. During NIF
experiments, the laser energy is directed to the target, driving the desired physics conditions, and the breakup of the
target. During this breakup there is the potential to generate debris fields with both vaporized and solid target material,
traveling at extremely high velocities (~10 km/s). For future shots, it is desirable to minimize distribution of the certain
target materials within NIF. The High Energy Imaging Diagnostic (HEIDI), which comes within 8 cm of the target, will
be modified to minimize the distribution of the ejected material. An external cone will be added to HEIDI which will
block a larger angle than the existing hardware. Internal shielding will be added to isolate target material within the front
portion of the diagnostic. A thin aluminum bumper will slow low-density vaporized material and contribute to the
breakup of high velocity particles, while a thicker wall will block solid chunks. After the shot, an external cover will be
installed, to contain any stray material that might be disturbed by regular operations. The target material will be retrieved
from the various shielding mechanisms and assayed.
