  A spherical target irradiated by laser beams located at 49o and 131o with
respect to the polar axis has been considered. The illumination model has been
used to evaluate the irradiation non-uniformity assuming circular and
elliptical super-gaussian laser intensity profiles and the irradiation scheme
has been optimized by means of the Polar Direct Drive technique. A parametric
study has been performed providing the irradiation non-uniformity as a function
of the Polar Direct Drive displacement and of the laser intensity profile
parameters. Moreover, two-dimensional axis-symmetric hydrodynamic simulations
have been performed for a plastic sphere irradiated by laser beams
characterized by a constant flat temporal power pulse. In these simulations the
front of the inward shock wave has been tracked providing the time-evolution of
any non-uniformity. The results provided by the two methods - illumination
model and hydrodynamic data - have been compared and it is found that the
illumination model reproduces the main behaviour exhibited by the hydrodynamic
data. The two models provide compatible values for the optimum Polar Direct
Drive parameter and similar optimal super-gaussian profiles.
