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Adapting a concept developed for magnetic confinement fusion experiments, an imaging crystal spectrometer has been designed and tested for HED plasmas. The instrument uses a spherically bent quartz [211] crystal with radius of curvature of 490.8 mm. The instrument was tested at the Titan laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory by irradiating titanium slabs with laser intensities of 1019-1020 W/cm². He-like and Li-like Ti lines were recorded, from which the spectrometer performance was evaluated. This spectrometer provides very high spectral resolving power (E/dE > 7000) while acquiring a one-dimensional image of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research describes advancements in the spectral analysis and error propagation techniques associated with x-ray imaging crystal spectroscopy (XICS) that have enabled this diagnostic to be used to accurately constrain particle, momentum, and heat transport studies in a tokamak for the first time. Doppler tomography techniques have been extended to include propagation of statistical uncertainty due to photon noise, the effect of non-uniform instrumental broadening as well as flux surface variations in impurity density. These methods have been deployed as a suite of modeling and analysis tools, written in interactive data language (IDL) and designed for general use on tokamaks. Its application to the Alcator C-Mod XICS is discussed, along with novel spectral and spatial calibration techniques. Example ion temperature and radial electric field profiles from recent I-mode plasmas are shown, and the impact of poloidally asymmetric impurity density and natural line broadening is discussed in the context of the planned ITER x-ray crystal spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the soft x-ray (SXR) tomography system setup at Tore Supra (DTOMOX) and the recent developments made to automatically get precise information about plasma features from inverted data. The first part describes the main aspects of the tomographic inversion optimization process. Several observations are made using this new tool and a set of shape factors is defined to help characterizing the emissivity field in a real-time perspective. The second part presents a detailed off-line analysis comparing the positions of the magnetic axis obtained from a magnetic equilibrium solver, and the maximum of the reconstructed emissivity field for ohmic and heated pulses. A systematic discrepancy of about 5 cm is found in both cases and it is shown that this discrepancy increases during sawtooth crashes. Finally, evidence of radially localized tungsten accumulation with an in-out asymmetry during a lower hybrid current drive pulse is provided to illustrate the DTOMOX capabilities for a precise observation of local phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High resolution density diagnostics are difficult in high energy density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP) experiments due to the scarcity of probes that can penetrate above solid density plasmas. Hard x-rays are one possible probe for such dense plasmas. We study the possibility of applying an x-ray method recently developed for medical imaging, differential phase-contrast with Talbot-Lau interferometers, for the diagnostic of electron density and small-scale hydrodynamic instabilities in HEDLP experiments. The Talbot method uses micro-periodic gratings to measure the refraction and ultra-small angle scatter of x-rays through an object and is attractive for HEDLP diagnostic due to its capability to work with incoherent and polychromatic x-ray sources such as the laser driven backlighters used for HEDLP radiography. Our paper studies the potential of the Talbot method for HEDLP diagnostic, its adaptation to the HEDLP environment, and its extension of high x-ray energy using micro-periodic mirrors. The analysis is illustrated with experimental results obtained using a laboratory Talbot interferometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique is presented for determining the radial location of the rotating magnetic islands in the STOR-M tokamak by use of soft x-ray (SXR) detector arrays. The location is determined by examining the difference in the integrated SXR emission intensities through two adjacent lines of sight. A model for calculating dependence of the line integrated SXR emission intensity on the radius, the mode numbers and the magnetic island geometry, has been developed. The SXR difference signal shows phase inversion when the impact parameter of the line of sight sweeps across the magnetic islands. Experimentally, the difference SXR signals significantly reduce noise and suppress the influence of background plasma fluctuations through common mode rejection when a dominant mode exists in the STOR-M tokamak. The radial locations of the m = 2 magnetic islands have been determined under several experimental conditions in the STOR-M discharges. With the decrease in the tokamak discharge current and thus the increase of the safety factor at the edge, the radial location of the m = 2 magnetic islands has been found to move radially inward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser integration line (LIL) located at CEA-CESTA is equipped with x-ray plasma diagnostics using different kinds of x-ray components such as filters, mirrors, crystals, detectors, and cameras. The CEA-DAM of Arpajon is currently developing x-ray calibration methods and carrying out absolute calibration of LIL x-ray photodetectors. To guarantee LIL measurements, detectors such as x-ray cameras must be regularly calibrated close to the facility. A new x-ray facility is currently available to perform these absolute x-ray calibrations. This paper presents the x-ray tube based high energy x-ray source delivering x-ray energies ranging from 0.9 to 10 keV by means of an anode barrel. The purpose of this source is mainly to calibrate LIL x-ray cameras but it can also be used to measure x-ray filter transmission of plasma diagnostics. Different x-ray absolute calibrations such as x-ray streak and framing camera yields, x-ray charge-coupled device quantum efficiencies, and x-ray filter transmissions are presented in this paper. A x-ray flat photocathode detector sensitivity calibration recently performed for a CEA Z-pinch facility is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently one-dimensional and multichannels multi-imaging x-ray streak camera (1D+McMIXS) has been proposed as an ultrafast diagnostic tool for imploded core plasma of shell-cone target. This diagnostic system can provide much more information of core plasma dynamics, such as the shell trajectory before the maximum compression, two dimensional (2D) x-ray images, and 2D map of electron temperature. The 1D+McMIXS was used in an implosion experiment of a shell target with a cone for fast ignition at Gekko XII laser facility. The interaction between the core plasma and the tip of the cone was observed and revealed some detailed structures. A series of time-resolved 2D x-ray images were reconstructed and a nominal temperature evolution was also mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray pinhole detectors are a common and useful diagnostic for high temperature and fusion-grade plasmas. While the measurements from such diagnostics are line integrated, local emission can be recovered by inverting or modeling the data using varying assumptions including toroidal symmetry, flux surface isoemissivity, and one-dimensional (1D) chordal lines of sight. This last assumption is often valid when the structure sizes and gradient scale lengths of interest are much larger than the spatial resolution of the detector elements. However, x-ray measurements of, for example, the strong gradients in the H-mode pedestal may require a full three-dimensional (3D) treatment of the detector geometry when the emission of the plasma has a significant variation within the field of view, especially in a high-triangularity, low aspect ratio plasma. Modeling of a high spatial resolution tangential edge array for NSTX has shown that a proper 3D treatment can improve the effective spatial resolution of the detector by 10%–40% depending on the modeled signal-to-noise ratio and gradient scale length. Results from a general treatment of arbitrary detector geometry will provide a guideline for the amount of systematic error that can be expected by a 1D versus 3D field of view analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of a wire array Z pinch encompasses a huge range of conditions—with spatial dimensions varying from micrometers to centimeters, densities from solid metal through plasmas of 1015–1022 e- cm-3, and temperatures from sub-eV to many 100 eV. We present a summary of the diagnostics developed and used at the Imperial College MAGPIE facility to study the formation and dynamics of plasma in wire array Z pinches, describing the plasma conditions for which they are useful, their various limitations, and some of the novel diagnostic techniques applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X pinch plasmas produced from fine metal wires can reach near solid densities and temperatures of 1 keV or even more. Plasma conditions change on time scales as short as 5–10 ps as determined using an x-ray streak camera viewing a focusing crystal spectrograph or directly viewing the plasma through multiple filters on a single test. As a result, it is possible to determine plasma conditions from spectra with ∼10 ps time resolution. Experiments and theory are now coming together to give a consistent picture of the dynamics and kinetics of these high energy density plasmas with very high temporal and spatial precision. A set of diagnostic techniques used in experiments for spectrally, temporally, and spatially resolved measurements of X pinch plasmas is described. Results of plasma parameter determination from these measurements are presented. X ray backlighting of one x- pinch by another with ∼30 ps x-ray pulses enables the dynamics and kinetics to be correlated in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh-speed two-dimensional x-ray imaging by using an image sampling technique on an x-ray streak camera has been developed and applied to observe the imploded core plasmas of inertial confinement fusion targets. Various one-dimensional and two-dimensional sampling techniques of two-dimensional images were compared, and the multi-imaging x-ray streak camera (MIXS), was found to be one of the most successful schemes. MIXS was used in an implosion experiment of a shell target with a cone for fast ignition at the OMEGA laser facility. Nonuniform structure in imploded core plasma dynamics was clearly observed with temporal and spatial resolutions of 10 ps and 10-20 μm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to time resolved two-dimensional x-ray imaging is presented. It is based on a micropattern gas detector with gas electron multiplier as amplifying stage and pixel readout. It allows x-ray photon counting at high detection efficiency, high signal to noise ratio, extremely high time resolution (framing rate up to 100 kHz), and with an innovative capability: the energy resolution. The detector has a limited number of pixels (up to tens of thousands), but each pixel behaves like a low-resolution spectrometer, allowing quasimonochromatic images or spectral scans. This new approach is proposed as an alternative to the traditional static, spectral integrated, noiser, high definition (millions of pixels) x-ray imaging as performed, for example, with charge coupled device based devices. All these innovative features have been tested on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (Princeton, USA) but the authors are firmly convinced that it will be applied to many other fields of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of superconducting coils in W7-X will allow to run very long pulses (up to 30 min). Therefore enhanced demands have to be met for plasma diagnostics with respect to hardware components exposed to steady state heat fluxes, but also to the data acquisition and analysis. A multicamera x-ray tomography system inside the vacuum vessel—because of lack of suitable ports—with about 400 viewing chords distributed along the poloidal direction is proposed for magneto hydrodynamics investigations. The system will consist of about 20 compact cameras containing linear photodiode arrays, beryllium-transmission foils, and preamplifiers. A particular technical issue is the control of detector/amplifier offset and gains in steady state plasmas. Another multipurpose x-ray camera system with interchangeable filters will be installed using a particular port combination. In addition x-ray pulse height analysis will be used to deduce spectroscopic information and to provide the central electron temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A time-resolved pinhole camera is being developed for monochromatic soft x-ray imaging of z-pinch plasmas on the Z accelerator [R. B. Spielman et al., Phys. Plasmas 5, 2105 (1998)] at Sandia National Laboratories. Pinhole images will reflect from a planar multilayer mirror onto a microchannel plate detector. A W/Si or Cr/C multilayer reflects a narrow energy range (full width at half maximum <10 eV) centered at 277 eV with peak reflectivity up to 20%. This choice of energy will allow final implosion imaging of any wire-array z-pinch fielded on Z, as well as bench testing using a carbon Kα source. Aluminized parylene filters will eliminate optical and second harmonic reflection, and the 34° multilayer grazing angle will allow detector shielding from high energy x rays produced by the Z accelerator. The system will also include a standard in-line pinhole camera, which can be filtered to obtain simultaneous higher-photon-energy images. Future instruments could use multiple mirrors to image at several energies, or operate at a low grazing angle to image 1–10 keV K-shell emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid-xenon-jet laser-plasma source for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and soft-x-ray generation has been characterized. Being a source candidate for EUV lithography (EUVL), we especially focus on parameters important for the integration of the source in EUVL systems. The deep-ultraviolet (DUV) out-of-band radiation (λ=120–400 nm) was quantified, to within a factor of two, using a flying-circus tool together with a transmission-grating spectrograph resulting in a total DUV conversion efficiency (CE) of ∼0.33%/2πsr. The size and the shape of the xenon plasma was investigated using an in-band-only EUV microscope, based on a spherical Mo/Si multilayer mirror and a charge-coupled device detector. Scalability of the source size from 20–270 μm full width at half maximum was shown. The maximum repetition-rate sustainable by the liquid-xenon-jet target was simulated by a double-pulse experiment indicating feasibility of >17 kHz operation. The xenon-ion energy distribution from the plasma was determined in a time-of-flight experiment with a Faraday-cup detector showing the presence of multi-kilo-electron-volt ions. Sputtering of silicon witness plates exposed to the plasma was observed, while a xenon background of >1 mbar was shown to eliminate the sputtering. It is concluded that the source has potential to meet the requirements of future EUVL systems. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the applications of several novel x-ray imaging schemes to measure plasma parameters in inertial-confinement fusion experiments. Concentration on soft x-ray moire deflectometer approaches and annular coded-aperture microscope; Production of a probe beam with the moire deflectometry approach.

The pulse-height-analysis (PHA) system installed on the Joint European Torus (JET) measures the plasma soft x-ray emission (2–30 keV) with an energy resolution of 450 eV and a time resolution of 200 ms. This diagnostic includes three Si(Li) detectors, equipped with sets of remotely controlled apertures and filters, which view the plasma in the midhorizontal plane of the torus along a single tangential line of sight. Automatic analysis of the spectra yields the central electron temperature, the central concentrations of chlorine, chromium, and nickel, and Zeff. Simulations of the measured spectra using a radiation code provides the basis to construct a consistent picture of the soft x-ray emission in the central region of JET plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microchannel plates are a central component of the x-ray framing cameras used as analog imagers in many plasma experiment diagnostic systems. The microchannel plate serves as an amplifying element, increasing the electronic signal from incident radiation by factors of 103-105, with a broad pulse-height distribution. Seeking to optimize the photon-to-electron conversion efficiency and noise distribution of x-ray cameras, we will characterize the pulse-height distribution of the electron output from a single microchannel plate. Replacing the framing camera's phosphor-coated fiber optic screen with a charge-collection plate and coupling to a low-noise multichannel analyzer, we quantified the distribution in the total charge generated per photon event. The electronically measured pulse height distribution is used to estimate the signal-to-noise ratio of radiographic images from framing cameras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used Kr Kα (12.6 keV), Zr Kα (15.7 keV), and Ag Kα (22.2 keV) x-rays, produced by petawatt-class laser pulses, to measure the integrated crystal reflectivity Rint of flat highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) up to the fifth order. The maximum Rint was observed in first order (3.7 mrad at 12.6 keV), decreasing by a factor of 3–5 for every successive order, and dropping by a factor of 2–2.5 at 22.2 keV. The current study indicates that HOPG crystals are suitable for measuring scattering signals from high energy x-ray sources (E≥20 keV). These energies are required to penetrate through the high density plasma conditions encountered in inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vacuum photoelectric detector (monitor) (VPD) designed for plasma tomography, megnetohydrodynamics monitoring, and imaging with the help of thermal x-ray radiation on the ITER facility is described. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that VPD has high sensitivity to thermal x rays and low sensitivity to hard gamma rays and neutrons. The results of tests of a prototype of this monitor on a 60Co source of gamma rays, on nuclear reactor and its calibration using radiation from an x-ray tube, and tests of its serviceability on the T-10 facility are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two 20-channel absolute x-ray ultraviolet photodiode (AXUVD) cameras are being used on the large helical device for measuring the two-dimensional radiation distribution. The local radiation emissivity is obtained by inverting the measured brightnesses with linear (Tikhonov-Phillips) or nonlinear (maximum entropy) regularization methods. The most important features of these improved methods are the capability of reconstructing radiation distributions without any symmetry assumptions, built-in smoothing, and useful reconstructions with relatively few detector channels. Together with improvements in the analysis method, the current AXUVD system makes it possible to obtain radiation emissivity images of various localized radiative phenomena, such as radiation collapse or transport of impurities injected into the plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shape of the x-ray self-emission image from an imploded inertial confinement fusion capsule has been used to diagnose Hohlraum radiation drive asymmetry [L. J. Suter et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 2328 (1994); A. Hauer et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66, 672 (1995); A. Hauer et al., Phys. Plasmas 2, 2488 (1995); N. D. Delameter et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 2022 (1996)]. Timing of neutron yield from the implosion can also be used to diagnose the absorbed radiation drive energy. We propose a set of beryllium capsules filled with gas, rather than layered cryogenic ice, to diagnose asymmetry and absorbed energy in ignition Hohlraums. Capsules with a range of initial shell thickness have a corresponding range of implosion times, allowing sampling of drive conditions throughout an ignition pulse. For example a 12 μm thick shell implodes during the foot of the ignition pulse, sampling the drive up to about 10 ns. For such capsules, the foot pulse is a high-adiabat drive and leads to implosions that are rather robust against instability and mixing. In these capsules, the best time to record images for diagnosing asymmetry may be several hundred picoseconds after peak x-ray brightness, when the image distortion is increasing rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spherically bent focusing spectrometers with one- or two-dimensional spatial resolution (FSSR) are commonly used to obtain spectra with λ/Δλ>1000 from laser and exploding-wire plasmas. The focal properties of such spectrometers make them ideally suited for coupling with x-ray streak cameras when imaging small sources. We discuss the design of a streaked FSSR system intended to measure time-resolved emission spectra with time resolutions <100 ps and λ/Δλ>2000 for source sizes ∼1 mm. The narrow spectral range (∼0.04 nm) can be adjusted between tests by varying the central Bragg angle (35°–55°) range and/or by exchanging the crystal type. The high spectral resolution is ideal for detailed line shape measurements. An example configuration for studying H- and He-like Ar emission is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prototype ultrasoft x-ray polychromator has been developed for local particle transport measurements in magnetic fusion devices using the Hα charge exchange emission from low-Z impurity pellets. High throughput together with few cm radial resolution in the plasma are achieved using a toroidally aligned grid collimator, while a few Å spectral bandpass together with strong background rejection are obtained using planar multilayer mirrors and foil filters. As high sensitivity detectors we use a new type of compact, efficient and high-gain multichannel plates. The prototype instrument has been evaluated in the laboratory and tested on the Large Helical Device in Japan. In addition to transport studies, this type of device is of interest for next step experiments, where high beam energy and strong attenuation will make visible charge exchange recombination spectroscopy difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our proposed “matrix-type” semiconductor detectors are applied for studying the relaxation of ion anisotropic distribution functions having several keV in the central cell of the tandem mirror GAMMA 10. The matrix-type detector array consists of compactly produced six “rows” having different thicknesses of thin dead layers (SiO2) on its surface. Each row has seven channel units (“columns”) for measuring radiation profiles in the radial direction of plasmas. These various SiO2 layers are, thus, employed as “unbreakable ultrathin radiation–absorption filters” having various thicknesses to analyze x-ray energies and distinguish x rays from neutral particles simultaneously. Development of these detectors along with high power gyrotrons allow us to investigate energy transport analyses between ion-cyclotron heated hot ions and electron-cyclotron heated electrons. An application of the matrix-type detectors reveals detailed behavior of electron and ion relaxation from the perpendicular to parallel ion energies in the central cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An early filter-fluorescer diagnostic system is being fielded at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to measure the amount of hard x rays (20

A least-squares fit analysis program is being developed for the study of spatially resolved x-ray spectra from tokamak plasmas. The program, written in interactive data language, can handle analysis of spectra from multiple sightlines through the plasma and compare the experimental data with a least-square fit of synthetic spectra, which are constructed from atomic modeling codes. The input parameters such as shot numbers, time groups, spatial range, spectral lines to fit and fitting parameters can be entered interactively through a graphical user interface or automatically via a script. The output consists of graphical presentations of the obtained spectral fits and fit parameter profiles as a function of time, including ion and electron temperature profiles, which are of particular interest. Output can also be sent to any open database connectivity compliant database. The features of the program are demonstrated with the analysis of the spectra of helium-like ArXVII, which were obtained with a new x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating the gold walls of a Hohlraum with intense laser beams produces a rapidly expanding gold plasma. Eventually, the wall material will converge on the axis of the Hohlraum with a density sufficient to be opaque to any standard radiography source. The gold expansion makes radiography of the back wall through the laser entrance hole of a Hohlraum driven from one side difficult. This experiment demonstrates a reduction of Au influx when the Hohlraum walls are coated with 0.44 μm of parylene-N. The reduction is quantified, using an x-ray framing camera, in a cylindrical Hohlraum driven by 6.8 kJ of laser light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-pinch radiography was used to analyze the interaction between streams of coronal plasma and on-axis foam targets in wire array z-pinch experiments on the MAGPIE generator (1 MA,240 ns). The implosion of the x-pinch, used in place of a current return conductor to the load, provided a short (<2 s) small (∼5 μm) intense burst of soft x-rays, ideal for point projection backlighting. Timimg of the x-pinch was adjusted via the mass of its wires, allowing us to study the evolution of the foam during the experiment. Choice of the x-pinch materials, filters, and recording film determined the probing radiation, and hence the plasma/foam densities were resolved. Quantitative results will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of x-ray (SXR) emission from tokamak plasmas provide valuable information about magnetohydrodynamics activities and transport phenomena. In this study, design and optimization of the SXR detector arrays were performed for the KSTAR (Korea superconducting tokamak advanced research) device. Geometrical arrangement of the array system was made by coverage mapping and tomographic reconstruction tests. The space-time tomography algorithm was developed for KSTAR-like plasmas using the fast maximum entropy method combined with singular value decomposition. Spatial setup of the components in each detector array was determined and optimized by geometrical calculation. A curved beryllium window and a developed cooling system will be mounted on the detector arrays. Due to the existence of the complex structures between outer vessel and passive stabilizers, each array is designed to be miniaturized. Hardware-optimization of the array system was cross-checked with the tomographic test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are developing large pixel count, fast (>=100 kHz) and continuously sampling soft x-ray (SXR) array for the diagnosis of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and turbulent fluctuations in magnetic fusion energy plasmas. The arrays are based on efficient scintillators, high thoughput multiclad fiber optics, and multichannel light amplification and integration. Compared to conventional x-ray diode arrays, such systems can provide vastly increased spatial coverage, and access to difficult locations with small neutron noise and damage. An eight-channel array has been built using columnar CsI:Tl as an SXR converter and a multianode photomultiplier tube as photoamplifier. The overall system efficiency is measured using laboratory SXR sources, while the time response and signal-to-noise performance have been evaluated by recording MHD activity from the spherical tori (ST) Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade and National Spherical Torus Experiment, both at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present diagnostic images taken of an X-pinch plasma x-ray source driven by the XP pulser (100 ns, 500 kA) at Cornell University using an x-ray bubble compound refractive lens. The lens consists of a 200 μm inside diameter glass capillary that contains about 100 biconcave microlenses formed by a string of bubbles in epoxy. A precise system for lens alignment with of 3–5 arcmin accuracy is described. X-ray images of four-wire X pinches were obtained with a spatial resolution of approximately 2 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental verification of the effects of radially sheared electric-field (or potential) formation in plasmas is one of the most critical issues to understand the physics basis for plasma confinement improvements. In the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror, recent experimental results show shear formation effects on the suppression of not only coherent drift waves but turbulence-like fluctuations without any coherent phasing relation during the ion-confining potential formation period. Contours of the central-cell soft x-ray brightness show spatially and temporally fluctuated structures during a weak sheared period by the use of the 50 channel microchannel plate system. A new x-ray tomography system is developed for analyzing temporally and spatially resolved plasma behavior in the presence or absence of these shear formation effects in GAMMA 10. The system consists of two 48-channel silicon semiconductor detector arrays with different viewing angles. X-ray energy responses of the new detector arrays along with response uniformity of detector channels have been characterized using synchrotron radiation at the Photon Factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A framed, 16-image, Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB)-type x-ray microscope has been designed for use in imaging laser–plasma x-ray emission. The reflecting elements are 16 pairs of concave mirrors arranged to reflect and focus x rays emanating from a laser-produced plasma. The resolution of the elements is 3 μm at best focus and is better than 5 μm within a 400-μm-diam region. A framing camera will be used in combination with the KB optic to produce 16 gated x-ray images in the energy range from 1.5 to 7 keV over a typical interval of 1.5 ns. This system is designed for use on the University of Rochester’s OMEGA laser facility [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of image plates based on the photostimulable phosphor BaF(Br,l):Eu2+ has been investigated and compared with x-ray film. Evaluation of detective quantum efficiency (DQE), sensitivity, dynamic range, and linearity was carried out for several types of commercially available image plate, using the Excalibur soft x-ray calibration facility at AWE. Image plate response was found to be linear over a dynamic range of 5 orders of magnitude. One type of image plate was found to have a number of advantages for soft x-ray detection, with a measured sensitivity 1 order of magnitude greater than that of Kodak Industrex CX and DEF-5 x-ray film. The DQE of this plate was found to be superior to that of film at low [less than 103 photons/(50 μm)2] and high fluxes [greater than 104 photons/(50 μm)2]. The spatial resolution of image plates, scanned with several models of commercial image plate readers, has been evaluated using a USAF resolution test target. The highest spatial resolution measured is 35 μm. Though this is significantly lower than the resolution possible with film, it is sufficient for many applications. Image plates were fielded in a refractive x-ray lens imaging diagnostic on the 1 TW Helen laser and these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A soft x-ray (SXR) measurement system for tomography analysis on a reversed-field pinch machine. torodial pinch experiment, RX [TPE-RX, R/a=1.72/0.45 m, Ip<1 MA (designed)], is presented. The soft x-ray imaging system consists of two surface barrier detector (SBD) arrays that are vertical and horizontal. Thirteen SBDs are installed on the vertical ports and used for the measurement along vertical lines of sight. Eleven SBDs are installed on the horizontal port and used for the measurement along a fan-shaped line of sight. These detectors have 15-μm-thick Be foil with sensitivity in the soft x-ray range. This system is installed in order to study the structure of the SXR emission from the plasma core and to know the relation between global performance and magnetohydrodynamics dynamics. This system has been used under several operating conditions in addition to those of standard operation. The first results of these experiments are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed microstrip microchannel plate (MCP) x-ray framing cameras are a well established diagnostic for laser plasma experiments. Each frame acquired with these devices requires a separate image, and with most reasonable x-ray optics, a separate line of sight, causing potential parallax problems. Gated image tubes have a single line of sight capability, but the conventional designs have not been effectively extended to the short gating times of the microstrip-line MCP camera. A hybrid camera combining image tube and microstrip-line MCP technology has been under development at Lawrence Livermore National Lab in collaboration with University of Rochester Lab for Laser energetics, and KENTECH Instruments. The key feature of this single line of sight hybrid image tube is a deflection assembly that continuously divides the electrons from a single photocathode x-ray image into a set of four electron images. Temporal gating of these images is carried out using a microstrip-line microchannel plate framing camera module positioned at the image plane of the electron tube. Characterization measurements performed using both x rays from a Manson source and from laser generated plasmas, will be presented. Some implementation improvements will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beryllium capsules filled with cryogenic deuterium and tritium fuel layers may provide many advantages for obtaining ignition at the National Ignition Facility. However, characterizing the uniformity and thickness of the frozen fuel layer in such a target is challenging since traditional x-ray radiography techniques, which rely on absorption for image contrast, cannot provide sufficient contrast to image the fuel layer in these low-Z materials. We propose using x-ray phase contrast imaging, which relies on gradients in the refractive index and wave interference, to characterize fuel layer uniformity. We present numerical modeling results of x-ray phase contrast imaging demonstrating the feasibility of this method for target characterization, discuss the necessary x-ray source characteristics, and present concepts for using this technique in the context of dynamic high density plasma experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In study of hot and dense plasma, a high spatial resolution (a few microns) x-ray imaging is very important to observe these plasmas. The Fresnel phase zone plate (FPZP) consists of alternately material and transparent circular annuli placed concentrically, which image x rays using diffraction x rays from all annuli. FPZP have imaged 4.7–4.77 keV x rays with 2.2 μm spatial resolution. However FPZP has a problem that background level is comparable to signal level. In subtraction of background, the error of 10% is caused. For the accurate background subtraction, we designed new FPZP, which consist of three β layers of a transparent zone and two material zones. The new design FPZP parameters (thickness of material zones, each zone width) have been optimized, and in that optimum design signal-to-background ratio is 4 times better than conventional two layers FPZP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray plasma images were made at the 14.5 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source of ATOMKI using a pinhole and a high resolution CCD camera. This method has good spatial resolution as well as the capability of postprocessed energy filtering of the images. During the measurements low and high charge state Ar, Xe, and Fe plasmas were produced with simultaneous beam extraction. Full-size and selected region images were recorded and analyzed. Full-size x-ray images show the spatial positions of different sources of x rays (bremsstrahlung, characteristic lines of plasma and wall ions) within low-charged ECRIS plasmas. Images of selected plasma regions (extraction slit, magnet pole, magnet gap) offer a better understanding of the effect of important tuning parameters (bias disk voltage, gas mixing, microwave power, magnetic field strength, etc.) commonly used to produce highly charged plasmas and beams. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the development of a plasma sputtering system which utilizes a pair of helicon plasma cathodes for the fabrication of multilayer x-ray mirrors. Design of the helicon plasma sputtering system; Fabrication of multilayers.

Reports on the production and characterization of large scale-length plasmas created by illuminating gas-filled thin-walled balloonlike targets using the Nova laser. Targets consisting of a skin surrounding one atom of neopentane; Evaluation of the uniformity of the plasma based on the results.

Observes the core plasmas of laser-imploded ICF targets using a 10-ps temporally resolved two-dimensional x-ray imaging technique. Multi-imaging x-ray pinhole camera coupled to an x-ray streak camera; Reconstruction of two-dimensional images by handling the streaked image data.

Discusses the application of ultrafast x-ray streak cameras for laser-produced plasma research. Detection and temporal dispersion of the x rays; Minimization of the effects of transit time dispersion by increasing the field by a factor of 7.

Interest in x-ray absorption derives from soft x-ray transport studies to characterize laser-solid-interaction effects. The object of this work was to determine whether x-ray absorption features were measurable in laser-produced plasmas from solid targets. X-ray emission was made using high-atomic-number microsphere targets irradiated with a focused beam of the Pharos laser while the laser-solid-interaction plasmas were generated by a second beam in Al foil targets. High-resolution, spatially resolved x-ray spectra were collected with instrumentation and geometry similar to previous tracer-dot spectroscopy measurements of plasma profile parameters. Soft x-ray absorption lines, observed at different distances from the aluminum target surface, may be related to density gradients in the laser-generated plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction techniques have been developed to obtain 2-D images of high β plasmas by taking advantage of the large toroidal rotation rate on TFTR. The Shafranov shift, which is large in high β plasmas, is taken into account in the reconstructions. A 2-D image of the electron temperature is reconstructed from the electron cyclotron emission with the assumption of rigid poloidal rotation. The soft x-ray tomography is performed using the Fourier-Bessel expansion technique from two x-ray cameras. The reconstruction techniques are tested numerically through the use of model islands. The image is reproduced from the source function with these techniques; however, the x-ray tomography without rotation using the two cameras gives unacceptable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the magnetically induced, compression gas puff has led to a new design which greatly enhances the performance of the Z-pinch, soft x-ray source incorporating this concept. It is shown that the improved gas puff design has resolved the problems related to the nonuniformity of the annular slit opening in the gas puff nozzle and to the poor coupling of the induction coil current with the gas in the nozzle plenum. Suggestions are made to further improve the design in order to reduce nozzle erosion due to arcing from the high-current Z-pinch discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum x-ray diodes with µm-thick filters have been developed to measure specific x-ray line emissions from plasmas imploded by megampere driving currents. Detector-filter combinations are presented for argon L-shell radiation (0.25-0.46 keV), for the 0.92-kev neon He-a line, and for the 1.13-kev sodium He-α line. For example, a power of 50 GW is measured in the neon He-α line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TFTR x-ray imaging system (XIS) is an array of 64-Si surface barrier diodes which image the plasma poloidally. Special absorber foils have been installed to permit measurement of electron temperature T[sub e] with < 100-µs time resolution along 10-30 chords. The technique uses the ratio of x-ray fluxes transmitted through two different foils, which depend mainly on T[sub e]. Simulations show that strong line radiation can change this ratio. To correct for these effects, special beryllium-scandium filters are employed to select the line-free region between 2 and 4.5 keV. Separate filter pairs allow correction for strong L line radiation as well as Ti or Ni Kα emission. The T[sub e] determination is based on simulations. Comparison of results with T[sub e] values from the electron-cyclotron emission and x-ray pulse height analysis diagnostics is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 800 × 800 Texas Instruments virtual phase charge-coupled device (CCD) was used to obtain pinhole images and x-ray spectra of laser-produced, solid target plasmas. With the CCD used in the single-photon counting mode, the spectrum in the energy range 2-10 keV was obtained without a dispersive element. Typical spectra reveal two distinct temperatures: a "cold" component of approximately 200 eV and "hot" component of approximately 5 keV. Also, multiline spectra comprising characteristic line emission (K[sub α], K[sub β]) from a multilayer target bombarded by β rays were recorded using a three-phase CCD. The results demonstrate the potential of CCDs as imaging spectrometers with application in space, laboratory, and fusion plasma research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]