Investigating high speed phenomena in laser plasma interactions using dilation x-ray imager (invited)

Journal Article · Sat Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4890396· OSTI ID:22308955

Bell, P. M.; Bradley, D. K.; Ayers, M. J.; Piston, K.; Felker, B. ^[1]; Hilsabeck, T. J.; Kilkenny, J. D.; Chung, T.; Sammuli, B. ^[2]; Hares, J. D.; Dymoke-Bradshaw, A. K. L. ^[3]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
2. General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)
3. Kentech Instruments Ltd., Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 (United Kingdom)

The DIlation X-ray Imager (DIXI) is a new, high-speed x-ray framing camera at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) sensitive to x-rays in the range of ≈2–17 keV. DIXI uses the pulse-dilation technique to achieve a temporal resolution of less than 10 ps, a ≈10× improvement over conventional framing cameras currently employed on the NIF (≈100 ps resolution), and otherwise only attainable with 1D streaked imaging. The pulse-dilation technique utilizes a voltage ramp to impart a velocity gradient on the signal-bearing electrons. The temporal response, spatial resolution, and x-ray sensitivity of DIXI are characterized with a short x-ray impulse generated using the COMET laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At the NIF a pinhole array at 10 cm from target chamber center (tcc) projects images onto the photocathode situated outside the NIF chamber wall with a magnification of ≈64×. DIXI will provide important capabilities for warm-dense-matter physics, high-energy-density science, and inertial confinement fusion, adding important capabilities to temporally resolve hot-spot formation, x-ray emission, fuel motion, and mix levels in the hot-spot at neutron yields of up to 10{sup 17}. We present characterization data as well as first results on electron-transport phenomena in buried-layer foil experiments.

• OSTI ID: 22308955
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CAMERAS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
ENERGY DENSITY
FOILS
HOT SPOTS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
KEV RANGE
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY
NEUTRONS
PHOTOCATHODES
PULSE TECHNIQUES
SENSITIVITY
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
TARGET CHAMBERS
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY