Production Of Hollow Glass Microspheres For Laser Fusion Targets

Glass microspheres provide a convenient container for the deuterium-tritium fuel used in internal fusion experiments. Stringent requirements as to size, uniformity, and cleanliness necessitate initial production on a small scale. As part of the Laser Fusion Program, the Target Fabrication Group of Lawrence Livermore National Labs has developed two processes to meet these demanding specifications. This work was perfomed under the auspices of the US Department of Energy.