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X-ray phase-contrast radiography could better characterize highly localized density gradients expected in High Energy Density (HED) plasma experiments than conventional attenuation radiography. In particular, the Talbot-Lau (TL) grating interferometer, which works with extended and polychromatic x-ray sources, is a potentially attractive HED diagnostic due to its high sensitivity. For HED characterization the TL setup and imaging techniques must be changed from the recently studied medical system. The object magnification must be increased greatly in order to resolve μm scale gradients while the Talbot magnification must be increased in order to keep the gratings away from the plasma. Additionally, techniques for retrieving the density profile from a single plasma image must be developed. We thus study the performance of high magnification TL interferometers, in conjunction with Moiré fringe deflectometry for single image phase retrieval. The results show a very good interferometer contrast (≤30%) at high magnification. The Moiré technique enables measuring both sharp and mild density gradients with good accuracy and spatial resolution. Both the laboratory and simulation studies indicate that the TL based Moiré deflectometry is more sensitive than the propagation phase-contrast method when utilizing an extended x-ray source (∼80 μm). In HED experiments this would allow for less demanding X-ray backlighters than those used at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast (<=0.1 ms) and compact “multicolor” scintillator-based optical soft x-ray (OSXR) array has been developed for time- and space-resolved measurements of the electron temperature [Te(R,t)] profiles in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. The 48-channel tangential multicolor OSXR prototype was tested on the National Spherical Torus Experiment. Each sight line views the same plasma volume at the midplane (0≤r/a≤1), in three distinct energy ranges determined by beryllium foils with different thicknesses. A tangential view of the toroidally (circular) symmetric plasma allows an Abel inversion of the line-integrated SXR brightness to obtain the x-ray emissivity profiles which are then used to constrain the reconstruction of the fast Te(R,t). The first assessment of the electron temperature is obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation with the ideal double-foil method using both the line-integrated intensity measurements as well as the inverted SXR emissivity profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New diagnostic and sensor designs are needed for future burning plasma (BP) fusion experiments, having good space and time resolution and capable of prolonged operation in the harsh BP environment. We evaluate the potential of multi-energy x-ray imaging with filtered detector arrays for BP diagnostic and control. Experimental studies show that this simple and robust technique enables measuring with good accuracy, speed, and spatial resolution the Te profile, impurity content, and MHD activity in a tokamak. Applied to the BP this diagnostic could also serve for non-magnetic sensing of the plasma position, centroid, ELM, and RWM instability. BP compatible x-ray sensors are proposed using 'optical array' or 'bi-cell' detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel diagnostic design seeks to enhance the capability of multienergy soft x-ray (SXR) detection by using an image intensifier to amplify the signals from a larger set of filtered x-ray profiles. The increased number of profiles and simplified detection system provides a compact diagnostic device for measuring Te in addition to contributions from density and impurities. A single-energy prototype system has been implemented on NSTX, comprised of a filtered x-ray pinhole camera, which converts the x-rays to visible light using a CsI:Tl phosphor. SXR profiles have been measured in high performance plasmas at frame rates of up to 10 kHz, and comparisons to the toroidally displaced tangential multi-energy SXR have been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new set of analytic formulas describes the transmission of soft x-ray continuum radiation through a metallic foil for its application to fast electron temperature measurements in fusion plasmas. This novel approach shows good agreement with numerical calculations over a wide range of plasma temperatures in contrast with the solutions obtained when using a transmission approximated by a single-Heaviside function [S. von Goeler et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 599 (1999)]. The new analytic formulas can improve the interpretation of the experimental results and thus contribute in obtaining fast temperature measurements in between intermittent Thomson scattering data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the National Spherical Torus Experiment [J. Menard et al., Nucl. Fusion 47, S645 (2007)], “giant” edge localized modes (ELMs) can occur resulting in a loss of plasma stored energy of up to 30%. These events are distinct from type I ELMs, whose energy loss is typically 4–10%, and they are accompanied by a cold pulse that causes a global decrease in the electron temperature profile. Estimates of the electron thermal transport during the cold pulses show a large enhancement over the underlying cross-field thermal diffusivity, χe, of up to several tens of m2/s. Following the ELM, short-wavelength fluctuations increase in the plasma edge and core, corresponding to an increase in the electron temperature gradient from the propagating cold pulse. Fast electron temperature measurements indicate that the normalized electron temperature scale length, R/LTe, reaches the threshold value for instability predicted by a fit to linear stability calculations. This is observed on time scales that match the growth of the high-k fluctuations in the plasma core, indicating that the enhanced χe and energy loss from the “giant” ELM appears to be related to critical gradient physics and the destabilization of electron temperature gradient modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)], plasmas with strongly reversed magnetic shear, s≡(r/q)(dq/dr)<0, in the plasma core exhibit a marked improvement in electron confinement compared to otherwise similar plasmas with positive or only weakly reversed magnetic shear. The q profile itself is determined by the early evolution of the plasma current, the plasma cross section, and the neutral-beam heating power. In the region of shear reversal, the electron thermal diffusivity can be significantly reduced. Detailed experimental investigation of this phenomenon has been made possible by the successful development of a motional Stark effect (MSE) polarimetry diagnostic suitable for the low magnetic field in NSTX, typically 0.35–0.55 T. Measurements of the electron and ion temperature, density, and plasma toroidal rotation profiles are also available with high spatial and temporal resolution for analysis of the plasma transport properties. [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]

A 4 in. multilayer mirror telescope has been tested on National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) for high throughput measurements of the beam excited soft x-ray impurity emission. The design is aimed at imaging low-k turbulent fluctuations in the plasma core. The test device used curved and planar Mo/Si mirrors to focus with ≈15% optical transmission and few angstrom bandwidths, the 135 Å Lyα line from injected Li III atoms, or the n=2–4 line from intrinsic C VI ions. As test detectors we used 1 cm2 absolute extreme ultraviolet diodes, equipped with 400 kHz bandwidth, low noise preamplifiers. With the available view on NSTX the telescope successfully detected small impurity density fluctuations associated with 1/1 modes rotating at midradius, indicating that a high signal to noise ratio and cost effective core turbulence diagnostic is feasible based on this concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Use of a large-area liquid lithium surface as a limiter has significantly improved the plasma performance in the Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade (CDX-U) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Previous CDX-U experiments with a partially-covered toroidal lithium limiter tray have shown a decrease in impurities and the recycling of hydrogenic species. Improvements in loading techniques have permitted nearly full coverage of the tray surface with liquid lithium. Under these conditions, there was a large drop in the loop voltage needed to sustain the plasma current. The data are consistent with simulations that indicate more stable plasmas having broader current profiles, higher temperatures, and lowered impurities with liquid lithium walls. As further evidence for reduced recycling with a liquid lithium limiter, the gas puffing had to be increased by up to a factor of eight for the same plasma density achieved with an empty toroidal tray limiter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Part of the development of liquid metals as a first wall or divertor for reactor applications must involve the investigation of plasma–liquid metal interactions in a functioning tokamak. Most of the interest in liquid metal walls has focused on lithium. Experiments with lithium limiters have now been conducted in the Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade (CDX-U) device at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Initial experiments used a liquid lithium rail limiter (L3) built by the University of California at San Diego. Spectroscopic measurements showed some reduction of impurities in CDX-U plasmas with the L3, compared to discharges with a boron carbide limiter. While no reduction in recycling was observed with the L3, which had a plasma-wet area of approximately 40cm2, subsequent experiments with a larger area fully toroidal lithium limiter demonstrated significant reductions in both recycling and in impurity levels. Two series of experiments with the toroidal limiter have now been performed. In each series, the area of exposed, clean lithium was increased, until in the latest experiments, the liquid lithium plasma-facing area was increased to 2000cm2. Under these conditions, the reduction in recycling required a factor of eight increase in gas fueling in order to maintain the plasma density. The loop voltage required to sustain the plasma current was reduced from 2V to 0.5V. This paper summarizes the technical preparations for lithium experiments and the conditioning required to prepare the lithium surface for plasma operations. The mechanical response of the liquid metal to induced currents, especially through contact with the plasma, is discussed. The effect of the lithium-filled toroidal limiter on plasma performance is also briefly described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Specialized soft x-ray and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) diagnostics used to monitor impurity emissions from fusion plasmas are often placed in a very challenging experimental environment. Detectors in these diagnostics must be simple; mechanically robust; immune to electromagnetic interference, energetic particles, and magnetic fields up to several tesla; ultra-high-vacuum compatible; and able to withstand bakeout temperatures up to 300 °C. The design and the photometric calibration of a detector consisting of a P45 phosphor (Y[sub 2]O[sub 2]S:Tb), two incoherent fiber-optic bundles coupled with a vacuum feedthrough fiber-optic faceplate, and a photomultiplier tube (PMT) are reported. We have successfully operated the detectors of this type in novel soft x-ray and VUV diagnostics on several fusion plasma facilities. Measurements of the visible photon throughput of the silica/silica incoherent fiber-optic bundle, and the light loss associated with the coupling of the two fibers with the faceplate are presented. In addition, improved absolute measurements of the conversion efficiency of the P45/PMT photodetector based upon the use of a PMT with a bialkali photocathode instead of a multialkali one are presented for the soft x-ray and VUV range of photon wavelengths. The conversion efficiency is defined as the ratio of the photoelectrons ejected from the photocathode of a visible detector, which are excited by the scintillated photons that are emitted from the phosphor in a solid angle of 2π, to the number of soft x-ray photons incident on the phosphor. Sensitive electronic gain measurements of the PMT using the visible scintillated light from the P45 phosphor are compared with the gain measurements supplied by the manufacturer of the PMT, which were performed with a tungsten filament lamp operated at 2856 K. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative system which combines very fast 2D imaging capabilities with spectral resolution in the X-VUV range 0.2–8 keV has been developed at ENEA-Frascati (Italy) in collaboration with INFN-Pisa (Italy). It is based on a pinhole camera coupled to a micropattern gas detector having a gas electron multiplier as gas amplifying stage. This detector (2.5 cm×2.5 cm active area), equipped with a 2D read-out printed circuit board with 144 pixels in a square matrix geometry (12×12) has been adapted to work at low energy, as far as 0.2 keV, in various configurations. Spectra with different X-VUV laboratory sources, energy calibrations curves and detection efficiency are discussed for all the proposed configurations. Thanks to the high photon flux (106 ph/s mm2) detected by this device, high time resolution can be obtained (framing rates up to 100 kHz). The full system has been tested on the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade in 2001 and on the National Spherical Tokamak eXperiments (NSTX) in 2002 as a possible diagnostic tool for magnetic fusion plasmas. Time-resolved 2D images are presented. These results open the way to a new X-VUV imaging technique, where the low definition (limited number of pixels) is highly compensated by the strongly enhanced contrast due to the fine and controlled energy discrimination and by the capability to get images in a selected energy range. The innovative combination of these two major characteristics, make this device a candidate for applications beyond the magnetic plasma physics field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The use of flowing liquid lithium as a first wall for a reactor has potentially attractive physics and engineering features. The current drive experiment-upgrade (CDX-U) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has begun experiments with a fully toroidal liquid lithium limiter. CDX-U is a compact (R=34 cm, a=22 cm, Btoroidal=2 kG, IP=100 kA, Te(0)∼100 eV, ne(0)∼5×1019 m−3) short-pulse (<25 ms) spherical tokamak with extensive diagnostics. The limiter, which consists of a shallow circular stainless steel tray of radius 34 cm and width 10 cm, can be filled with lithium to a depth of a few millimeters, and forms the lower limiting surface for the discharge. Heating elements beneath the tray are used to liquefy the lithium prior to the experiment. The total area of the tray is approximately 2000 cm2. The tokamak edge plasma, when operated in contact with the lithium-filled tray, shows evidence of reduced impurities and recycling. The reduction in recycling and impurities is largest when the lithium is liquefied by heating to 250 °C. Discharges which are limited by the liquid lithium tray show evidence of performance enhancement. Radiated power is reduced and there is spectroscopic evidence for increases in the core electron temperature. Furthermore, the use of a liquid lithium limiter reduces the need for conditioning discharges prior to high current operation. The future development path for liquid lithium limiter systems in CDX-U is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current drive experiment-upgrade (CDX-U) device at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a spherical torus (ST) dedicated to the exploration of liquid lithium as a potential solution to reactor first-wall problems such as heat load and erosion, neutron damage and activation, and tritium inventory and breeding. Initial lithium limiter experiments were conducted with a toroidally-local liquid lithium rail limiter (L3) from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Spectroscopic measurements showed a clear reduction of impurities in plasmas with the L3, compared to discharges with a boron carbide limiter. The evidence for a reduction in recycling was less apparent, however. This may be attributable to the relatively small area in contact with the plasma, and the presence of high-recycling surfaces elsewhere in the vacuum chamber. This conclusion was tested in subsequent experiments with a fully toroidal lithium limiter that was installed above the floor of the vacuum vessel. The new limiter covered over ten times the area of the L3 facing the plasma. Experiments with the toroidal lithium limiter have recently begun. This paper describes the conditioning required to prepare the lithium surface for plasma operations, and effect of the toroidal liquid lithium limiter on discharge performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent upgrades to CDX-U spherical torus diagnostics include two 10-channel AXUV diode arrays. The multilayer mirror (MLM) array measures the λ150 O VI brightness profile in the poloidal plane using the Mo/B[sub 4]C synthetic multilayer structures as dispersive elements. The foil filter array has a tangential view and is equipped with interchangeable clear aperture, beryllium and titanium filters. This allows measurements of radiated power, O VI or C V radial distributions, respectively. The O VI and C V emissivity and the radiated power profiles are highly peaked. A Neoclassical impurity accumulation mechanism is considered as an explanation. For radiated power measurements in the T[sub e]<=100 eV plasmas, photon energy dependent corrections must be used in order to account for nonlinear AXUV sensitivity in the range E[sub phot]<=20 eV. The arrays are also used for characterization of resistive MHD phenomena, such as the low m modes, saw-tooth oscillations and internal reconnection events. Based on the successful operation of the diagnostics, a new ultra soft x-ray multilayer mirror diode AXUV diode array monitoring the 34 Å emissivity distribution of C VI will be built and installed on the National Spherical Torus Experiment. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flowing liquid lithium first wall or divertor target could virtually eliminate the concerns with power density and erosion, tritium retention, and cooling associated with solid walls in fusion reactors. To investigate the interaction of a spherical torus plasma with liquid lithium limiters, large area divertor targets, and walls, discharges will be established in the Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade (CDX-U) where the plasma–wall interactions are dominated by liquid lithium surfaces. Among the unique CDX-U lithium diagnostics is a multilayer mirror (MLM) array, which will monitor the 13.5 nm LiIII line for core lithium concentrations. Additional spectroscopic diagnostics include a grazing incidence extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectrometer (STRS) and a filterscope system to monitor D[sub α] and various impurity lines local to the lithium limiter. Profile data will be obtained with a multichannel tangential bolometer and a multipoint Thomson scattering system configured to give enhanced edge resolution. Coupons on the inner wall of the CDX-U vacuum vessel will be used for surface analysis. A 10 000 frame per second fast visible camera and an IR camera will also be available. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the design of a far ultraviolet polychromator for radiative divertor studies at the Alcator C-Mod and D-IIID tokamaks. Design of the instrument; Composition of the grating substrate; Grid collimators in each monochromator; Composition of detector; Determination of the throughput of the instrument.

Focuses on the electron cyclotron emission diagnostic of high temperature electron cyclotron resonance heated plasmas on Frascati tokamak upgrade. Accuracy of the electron temperature measurements; Comparison the accomplished measurements with Thomson scattering and observations of x-ray spectra from highly stripped molybdenum ions.

Describes a dual line emission tomography system for the CDX-U tokamak at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey. Filtered diode arrays; Difficulty of measuring magnetohydrodynamic activity with good spatial and temporal resolution from soft x-ray continuum emission.

Develops arrays of high throughput mini-monochromators using extreme ultraviolet multilayer mirrors (MLM) as dispersive elements and filtered surface barrier diodes as detectors. Utility of the device in collecting data required for tomographic reconstruction of local emissivities in spherical tokamaks; Increased use of MLM-based spectroscopic system as fusion plasma diagnostics.

Addresses the problems associated with extracting local signals of spectral line emissions from impurities in the divertor region of the tokamak and presents the design and implementation of the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) Periscope. Spatial resolution of the XUV Periscope; Photodetectors.

Illustrates how atomic physics modeling can be used to extract the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral line brightnesses measured with low-resolution, high-photon-throughput, multilayer mirror (MLM)-based devices. Overview of MLM-based devices; XUV radiation of low Z impurities; L-shell emission of intermediate Z impurities.

Presents the results of an evaluation of multilayer mirrors (MLM) for the soft x ray and extreme ultraviolet wavelength range that were irradiated with neutrons. Wavelength resolution of MLM devices; MLM irradiation experiment; Reflectivity measurements; Thermal properties of MLM containing carbon as the spacer layer.

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]

A novel and compact, diode-based, multi-energy soft x-ray (ME-SXR) diagnostic has been developed for the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment. The new edge ME-SXR system tested on NSTX consists of a set of vertically stacked diode arrays, each viewing the plasma tangentially through independent pinholes and filters providing an overlapping view of the plasma midplane which allows simultaneous SXR measurements with coarse sub-sampling of the x-ray spectrum. Using computed x-ray spectral emission data, combinations of filters can provide fast (>10 kHz) measurements of changes in the electron temperature and density profiles providing a method to 'fill-in' the gaps of the multi-point Thomson scattering system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A divertor imaging radiometer (DIR) diagnostic is being studied to measure spatially and spectrally resolved radiated power Prad(λ) in the tokamak divertor. A dual transmission grating design, with extreme ultraviolet (∼20-200 Å) and vacuum ultraviolet (∼200-2000 Å) gratings placed side-by-side, can produce coarse spectral resolution over a broad wavelength range covering emission from impurities over a wide temperature range. The DIR can thus be used to evaluate the separate Prad contributions from different ion species and charge states. Additionally, synthetic spectra from divertor simulations can be fit to Prad(λ) measurements, providing a powerful code validation tool that can also be used to estimate electron divertor temperature and impurity transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moiré fringe deflectometry with grating interferometers is a technique that enables refraction-based x-ray imaging using a single exposure of an object. To obtain the refraction image, the method requires a reference fringe pattern (without the object). Our study shows that, in order to avoid artifacts, the reference pattern must be exactly matched in phase with the object fringe pattern. In experiments, however, it is difficult to produce a perfectly matched reference pattern due to unavoidable interferometer drifts. We present a simple method to obtain matched reference patterns using a phase-scan procedure to generate synthetic Moiré images. The method will enable deflectometric diagnostics of transient phenomena such as laser-produced plasmas and could improve the sensitivity and accuracy of medical phase-contrast imaging.

The Talbot-Lau x-ray moiré deflectometer is a powerful plasma diagnostic capable of delivering simultaneous refraction and attenuation information through the accurate detection of x-ray phase shift and intensity. The diagnostic can provide the index of refraction n=1-δ+iβ of an object (dense plasma, for example) placed in the x-ray beam by independently measuring both δ and β, which are directly related to the electron density n(e) and the attenuation coefficient μ, respectively. Since δ and β depend on the effective atomic number Z(eff), a map can be obtained from the ratio between phase and absorption images acquired in a single shot. The Talbot-Lau x-ray moiré deflectometer and its corresponding data acquisition and processing are briefly described to illustrate how the above is achieved; Z(eff) values of test objects within the 4-12 range were obtained experimentally through simultaneous refraction and attenuation measurements. We show that Z(eff) mapping of objects does not require previous knowledge of sample length or shape. The determination of Z(eff) from refraction and attenuation measurements with moiré deflectometry could be of high interest to various domains of high energy density research, such as shocked materials and inertial confinement fusion experiments, as well as material science and nondestructive testing.

The Talbot-Lau grating interferometer enables refraction based imaging with conventional X-ray tubes, offering the promise of a new medical imaging modality. The fringe contrast of the normal incidence interferometer is however insufficient at the >40 keV photon energies needed to penetrate thick body parts, because the thin absorption gratings used in the interferometer become transparent. To solve this problem we developed a new interferometer design using gratings at glancing incidence. For instance, using 120 μm thick Au gratings at 10° incidence we increased several fold the interferometer contrast for a spectrum with ~58 keV mean energy. Tests of DPC-CT at 60-80kVp using glancing angle interferometers and medically relevant samples indicate high potential for clinical applications. A practical design for a slot-scan DPC-CT system for the knee is proposed, using glancing angle gratings tiled on a single substrate.

The designs of single transmission grating based extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) imaging spectrometers can be adapted to build an imaging radiometer for simultaneous measurement of both spectral ranges. This paper describes the design of such an imaging radiometer with dual transmission gratings. The radiometer will have an XUV coverage of 20-200 Å with a ∼10 Å resolution and a VUV coverage of 200-2000 Å with a ~50 Å resolution. The radiometer is designed to have a spatial view of 16°, with a 0.33° resolution and a time resolution of ~10 ms. The applications for such a radiometer include spatially resolved impurity monitoring and electron temperature measurements in the tokamak edge and the divertor. As a proof of principle, the single grating instruments were used to diagnose a low temperature reflex discharge and the relevant data is also included in this paper.

A Talbot-Lau interferometer is demonstrated using micro-periodic gratings inclined at a glancing angle along the light propagation direction. Due to the increase in the effective thickness of the absorption gratings, the device enables differential phase contrast imaging at high x-ray energy, with improved fringe visibility (contrast). For instance, at 28° glancing angle, we obtain up to ∼35% overall interferometer contrast with a spectrum having ∼43 keV mean energy, suitable for medical applications. In addition, glancing angle interferometers could provide high contrast at energies above 100 keV, enabling industrial and security applications of phase contrast imaging.

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., (© 2011 American Institute of Physics)

A free standing transmission grating based imaging spectrometer in the extreme ultraviolet range has been developed for the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The spectrometer operates in a survey mode covering the approximate spectral range from 30 to 700 Å and has a resolving capability of δλ/λ on the order of 3%. Initial results from space resolved impurity measurements from NSTX are described in this paper.

Phase-contrast or refraction-enhanced x-ray radiography can be useful for the diagnostic of low-Z high energy density plasmas, such as imploding inertial confinement fusion (ICF) pellets, due to its sensitivity to density gradients. To separate and quantify the absorption and refraction contributions to x-ray images, methods based on microperiodic optics, such as shearing interferometry, can be used. To enable applying such methods with the energetic x rays needed for ICF radiography, we investigate a new type of optics consisting of grazing incidence microperiodic mirrors. Using such mirrors, efficient phase-contrast imaging systems could be built for energies up to ∼100 keV. In addition, a simple lithographic method is proposed for the production of the microperiodic x-ray mirrors based on the difference in the total reflection between a low-Z substrate and a high-Z film. Prototype mirrors fabricated with this method show promising characteristics in laboratory tests.

Differential phase-contrast imaging with hard x rays can have important applications in medicine, material sciences, and energy research. Phase-contrast methods based on microperiodic optics, such as shearing interferometry, are particularly attractive because they allow the use of conventional x-ray tubes. To enable shearing interferometry with x rays up to 100?keV, we propose using grazing-incidence microperiodic mirrors. In addition, a simple lithographic method is proposed for the production of the microperiodic x-ray mirrors, based on the difference in grazing-incidence reflectivity between a low-Z substrate and a high-Z film. Using this method, we produced prototype mirrors with 5-100?mum periods and 90?mm active length. Experimental tests with x rays up to 60?keV indicate good microperiodic mirror reflectivity and high-contrast fringe patterns, encouraging further development of the proposed imaging concept.

We report the observation of a correlation between shear Alfvén eigenmode activity and electron transport in plasma regimes where the electron temperature gradient is flat, and thus the drive for temperature gradient microinstabilities is absent. Plasmas having rapid central electron transport show intense, broadband global Alfvén eigenmode (GAE) activity in the 0.5-1.1 MHz range, while plasmas with low transport are essentially GAE-free. The first theoretical assessment of a GAE-electron transport connection indicates that overlapping modes can resonantly couple to the bulk thermal electrons and induce their stochastic diffusion.