Method for filling hollow shells with gas for use as laser fusion targets
AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsHarry W. Deckman, Gerald M. Halpern, John G. Dunsmuir
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hollow shell laser fusion targets, such as glass microballoons, are filled with gases of the type which do not permeate through the wall of the balloon. A hole is laser-drilled in the balloon, a plug is placed over the hole and gas is introduced into the balloon through the loosely plugged hole. Thereafter the plug is melted to form a seal over the hole, entrapping the gas within the target. The plug is, for example, a polymer such as highly crystalline polystyrene, or glass.
Claims16
The method of filling a laser target having a hollow shell with gas which comprises the steps of drilling a hole through the wall of the shell, locating a plug having a melting temperature lower than that of the shell over the hole, placing the drilled shell with the plug in a vessel, introducing the gas into the shell through the hole while the plug is located on the shell over the hole, heating the vessel, thereby melting the plug to seal the hole to form a barrier against the escape of the gas from the shell thereby providing a gas-filled shell, removing said gas-filled shell from said vessel, and mounting said shell upon a stalk with the top of the stalk and the melted plug in contact with each other to provide an assembly for use in a laser fusion target chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.