A Dual-Channel, Curved-Crystal Spectrograph for Petawatt Laser, X-Ray Backlighter Source Studies

Journal Article · Wed Aug 19 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Review of Scientiifc Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3193716· OSTI ID:962747

Theobald, W ^[1]; Stoeckl, C; Jaanimagi, P A; Nilson, P M; Storm, M; Meyerhofer, D D; Sangster, T C; Hey, D; MacKinnon, A J; Park, H -S; Patel, P K; Shepherd, R; Snavely, R A; Key, M H; King, J A; Zhang, B; Stephens, R B; Akli, K U; Highbarger, K; Daskalova, R L ; VanWoerkom, L; Freeman, R R; Green, J S; Gregori, G; Lancaster, K; Norreys, P A

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1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

A dual-channel, curved-crystal spectrograph was designed to measure time-integrated x-ray spectra in the ~1.5 to 2 keV range (6.2–8.2 Å wavelength) from small-mass, thin-foil targets irradiated by the VULCAN petawatt laser focused up to 4 x 10^20 W/cm^2. The spectrograph consists of two cylindrically curved potassium-acid-phthalate crystals bent in the meridional plane to increase the spectral range by a factor of ~10 compared to a flat crystal. The device acquires single-shot x-ray spectra with good signal-to-background ratios in the hard x-ray background environment of petawatt laser-plasma interactions. The peak spectral energies of the aluminum He-alpha and Ly-alpha resonance lines were ~1.8 and ~1.0 mJ/eV sr (~0.4 and 0.25 J/Å sr), respectively, for 220 J, 10 ps laser irradiation.

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-08NA28302
• OSTI ID: 962747
• Report Number(s): DOE/NA/28302-903; 2008-66; 1886
• Journal Information: Review of Scientiifc Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientiifc Instruments Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 80
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English