K-(alpha) Radiography at 20-100 keV Using Short-Pulse Lasers

Conference · Mon Aug 29 04:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:878639

Park, H S; Chambers, D; Clarke, R; Eagleton, R; Giraldez, E; Goldsack, T; Heathcote, R; Izumi, N; Key, M; King, J; Koch, J; Landen, O L; Mackinnon, A; Nikroo, A; Patel, P; Pasley, J; Remington, B; Robey, H; Snavely, R; Steinman, D ; Stephenson, R; Stoeckl, C; Storm, M; Tabak, M; Theobald, W; Town, R J

X-ray radiography is an important tool for diagnosing and imaging planar and convergent hydrodynamics phenomena for laser experiments. Until now, hydrodynamics experiments at Omega and NIF utilize E{sub x-ray} < 9 keV backlighter x-rays emitted by thermal plasmas. However, future experiments will need to diagnose larger and denser targets and will require x-ray probes of energies from 20-100 keV and possibly up to 1 MeV. Hard K-{alpha} x-ray photons can be created through high-energy electron interactions in the target material after irradiation by petawatt-class high-intensity-short-pulse lasers with > 10{sup 17} W/cm{sup 2}. We have performed several experiments on the JanUSP, and the Vulcan 100TW, and Vulcan Petawatt lasers to understand K-{alpha} sources and to test radiography concepts. 1-D radiography using an edge-on foil and 2-D radiography using buried wires and cone-fiber targets were tested. We find that 1-D thin edge-on foils can have imaging resolution better than 10 {micro}m. Micro volume targets produce bright sources with measured conversion efficiency from laser energy to x-ray photons of {approx} 1 x 10{sup -5}. This level of conversion may not be enough for 2-D point projection radiography. A comparison of our experimental measurements of small volume sources with the LSP/PIC simulation show similar K-{alpha} creation profiles but discrepancy in absolute yields.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 878639
• Report Number(s): UCRL-CONF-215262
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IRRADIATION
LASERS
PETAWATT POWER RANGE
PHOTONS
PROBES
RESOLUTION
SIMULATION
TARGETS
X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY