Creating metallic under-dense radiators by electron beam heating prior to laser impact
A pulsed, relativistic electron beam can heat a metal foil to a plasma state, and initiate an expanding flow into vacuum. At a given time in its evolution, this flow fills a nearly spherical volume with nearly uniform density, assuming a rapid expansion prior to any condensation. A metal cloud produced in this way can serve as a target of intense laser illumination to create an under-dense radiator of x-rays. The phrase ''under-dense radiator'' means that the cloud, assumed ionized, has a plasma density that is less than the critical density for the wavelength of the laser light. The example described here is of a 2 {micro}g copper foil 23 {micro}m thick and 0.16 mm in diameter, heated by 8 mJ of electron beam energy in as short a time as possible, perhaps under 50 ns. The electron beam pulse must be at least 140 nC at 100 keV in order to transit the foil and deposit 8 mJ. A 50 ns pulse focused on the target would have a current of 2.8 A, and a current density of 14 kA/cm{sup 2}. The initial plasma temperature is 0.5 eV. After 300 ns, the flow has expanded to fill a nearly spherical volume of 1 mm diameter, with a nearly uniform copper density of 1.5 x 10{sup 20} cm{sup {minus}3}. The leading edge of the cloud is expanding at 1700 m/s, while flow at the original position of the foil surface expands at 150 m/s. This cloud is nearly stationary during the short time of a laser pulse at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 14753
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-134255; YN0100000; YN0100000; TRN: US0106784
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 15 Dec 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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