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We detail results of an experiment performed at the Ligne d'Intégration Laser facility aimed at studying supersonic and diffusive radiation front propagation in low-density SiO2 aerogel (20 and 40 mg/cm3) enclosed in a gold tube, driven by thermal emission from a laser-heated spherical gold cavity. The evolution of the front is studied continuously by measuring its self-emission with a 1D (one-dimensional) time-resolved soft x-ray imager. Measurement is performed along (through a 200- μm-wide observation slit) and at the exit of the tube giving access to the dynamics and the curvature of the front. Experimental results are then compared successfully to results from the 3D (three-dimensional) radiation hydrodynamics code TROLL, which shows that if continuous tracking of the front position is accessible with this experimental scheme, measurement of its maximum radiation temperature is on the contrary affected by radiation closure of the observation slit. 3D simulations also indicate that this effect can even be worsened if one includes pointing errors of the x-ray imager. Radiation temperature along the tube was then inferred by combining results from the imager to a wall shock breakout time measurement using a velocity interferometer system for any reflector and results from a broadband x-ray spectrometer used to determine the temperature at the exit of the tube. A decrease in the radiation temperature along the tube is observed, the decrease being more important for the higher SiO2 aerogel density.

The principle of a multilayer monochromator with a narrow bandwidth and a low specular background is recalled. The elaboration of such a monochromator obtained from a Mo/Si multilau-yer mirror is briefly described. The performance of the device measured at 1500 and 98 eV is presented. Le principe d'un monochromateur multicouche a bande passante etroite et presentant un faible fond continu est rappele. Nous decrivons brievement la fabrication d'un tel monochromateur obtenu a partir d'un miroir multicouche Mo/Si. Les performances de ce dispositif mesurees a 1500 et 98 eV sont presentees.

(1999). The elettra circular polarization beamline and electromagnetic elliptical wiggler insertion device. Synchrotron Radiation News: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 34-38.

Two types of Bragg Fresnel multilayer zone plates operating in the keV range have been investigated for X-ray laser-plasma imaging. Elliptical on-axis and off-axis Bragg Fresnel multilayer zone plates were characterised. With the on-axis zone plate all the reflection orders are superposed in the same plane. The image contrast is then degraded as the zone plate focus distance is not the same for all orders. The problem is avoided with an off-axis zone plate with which the different orders in the image plane are spatially separated. The Al He α strong emission line (7.757 A) of a laser produced aluminium plasma has been selected for the imaging tests. The first order reflected intensity has been optimized by varying the Bragg and azimuthal angles. As a result, an X-ray image of a fine gold grid backlighted by the aluminium plasma emission has been obtained with a spatial resolution very close to the theoretical limit of the imaging mounting.

We demonstrate the design, the fabrication and use of an off-axis elliptical Bragg-Fresnel multilayer lens to produce a focal spot of zero-order background. We describe here the principle of these new focusing optics and its first utilization on the X-ray synchrotron beam at LURE (Orsay, France). Imaging tests of a binary object at 1750 eV using the third-order diffraction of the lens are also presented.

The fluorescence X-ray scanning 2D microprobe based on a Bragg-Fresnel multilayer lens (BFML) has been tested at the ESRF, Grenoble (France) for the first time. A single elliptical BFML has been used for two-dimensional focusing of the X-ray synchrotron beam of an undulator source in the energy range of 12 keV. A spatial resolution of 2.4 μm and a photon intensity of about 10 10 photons per second have been measured using a Cr knife-edge test object.

We propose a general dynamical theory for Bragg Fresnel multilayer lenses (BFML) which allows writing fast and accurate numerical codes. Our theory is valid if one satisfies a given inequality relation between the lens parameters. We apply this theory to a particular kind of BFML which has been designed recently for zero order suppression around the first focused order. Numerical simulations results are compared to experimental data.

The Ligne d'Integration Laser (LIL) facility has been designed as a prototype for the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) which is a cornerstone of the French 'Simulation Program'. This laser has been intensively used to test and improve the LMJ components. In addition, a large panel of plasma diagnostics has been installed and is currently used to perform laser–plasma experiments. After a brief discussion about the LIL design, we present the last results in various plasma physics domains.