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Development of backlighting sources for a Compton radiography diagnostic of inertial confinement fusion targets (invited)

Journal Article · · Review of Scientific Instruments
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2953593· OSTI ID:21266563
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  1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)
  2. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
  3. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-1070 (United States)

We present scaled demonstrations of backlighter sources, emitting bremsstrahlung x rays with photon energies above 75 keV, that we will use to record x-ray Compton radiographic snapshots of cold dense DT fuel in inertial confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). In experiments performed at the Titan laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we measured the source size and the bremsstrahlung spectrum as a function of laser intensity and pulse length from solid targets irradiated at 2x10{sup 17}-5x10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2} using 2-40 ps pulses. Using Au planar foils we achieved source sizes down to 5.5 {mu}m and conversion efficiencies of about 1x10{sup -13} J/J into x-ray photons with energies in the 75-100 keV spectral range. We can now use these results to design NIF backlighter targets and shielding and to predict Compton radiography performance as a function of the NIF implosion yield and associated background.

OSTI ID:
21266563
Journal Information:
Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 79; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English