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Diagnostics in high energy density physics, shock physics, and related fields are primarily driven by a need to record rapidly time-evolving signals in single-shot events. These measurements are often limited by channel count and signal degradation issues on cable links between the detector and digitizer. We present the Ultrafast Pixel Array Camera (UPAC), a compact and flexible detector readout system with 32 waveform-recording channels at up to 10 Gsample/s and 1.8 GHz analog bandwidth. The compact footprint allows the UPAC to be directly embedded in the detector environment. A key enabling technology is the PSEC4A chip, an eight-channel switch-capacitor array sampling device with up to 1056 samples/channel. The UPAC system includes a high-density input connector that can plug directly into an application-specific detector board, programmable control, and serial readout, with less than 5 W of power consumption in full operation. We present the UPAC design and characterization, including a measured timing resolution of ∼20 ps or better on acquisitions of sub-nanosecond pulses with minimal system calibrations. Example applications of the UPAC are also shown to demonstrate operation of a solid-state streak camera, an ultrafast imaging array, and a neutron time-of-flight spectrometer.

The performance of Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments is sensitive to the amount of laser energy coupled to the fuel during the preheat stage. 1 A significant source of energy loss in this process comes from the need to heat a laser entrance hole foil (LEH) located at the entrance to the target that is required to contain the gaseous fusion fuel. The energy lost to the LEH is a function of its thickness which can be reduced by cryogenically cooling the fuel, lowering the pressure required for a given fuel density. 2 To realize this, a cryogenically-cooled laser target platform was commissioned in the Pecos chamber that enables rapid testing of preheat configurations, 3 and a cryogenically-cooled MagLIF configuration was tested that symmetrically cools the liner from the top and bottom, minimizing temperature gradients across the target. These new capabilities were utilized to perform a cryogenically-cooled MagLIF experiment that demonstrated >2 kJ of preheat energy coupled to the fuel for the first time on Z.

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) is a magneto-inertial fusion concept, which is presently being studied on the Z Pulsed Power Facility. The concept utilizes an axial magnetic field and laser heating to produce fusion-relevant conditions at stagnation despite a peak magnetically driven implosion velocity of less than 100 km/s. Initial mymargin experiments demonstrated the viability of the concept but left open questions about the amount of laser energy coupled to the fuel and the role that mix played in the stagnation conditions. In this paper, simple methodologies for estimating the laser energy coupled to the fuel and determining the stagnation pressure and mix are presented. These tools enabled comparisons across many experiments to establish performance trends, as well as allow comparisons with 2-D magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The initial experiments were affected by low laser energy coupling (0.2–0.6 kJ), which resulted in reduced neutron yields (1– $2\times 10^{12}$ ). In addition, all early experiments utilized mid-Z (aluminum) fuel-facing components. Mixing from these components had a significant impact on stagnation and increased with laser energy. Lower neutron yields (1– $3\times 10^{11}$ ) were measured with higher laser coupling (0.8–1.2 kJ), which significantly deviated from the predicted scaling. When all fuel-facing components were made from a low-Z material (beryllium), neutron production increased ( $3.2\times 10^{12}$ ) and scaled as expected with laser energy; experimental yields were approximately 40% of simulated yields. In addition, roughly I4 yield scaling was observed in experiments, where the load current was varied from 16–18 MA. These results represent the first step in experimental demonstration of stagnation performance scaling with input parameters in MagLIF.

We present experimental results from the first systematic study of performance scaling with drive parameters for a magnetoinertial fusion concept. In magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments, the burn-averaged ion temperature doubles to 3.1 keV and the primary deuterium-deuterium neutron yield increases by more than an order of magnitude to 1.1×10^{13} (2 kJ deuterium-tritium equivalent) through a simultaneous increase in the applied magnetic field (from 10.4 to 15.9 T), laser preheat energy (from 0.46 to 1.2 kJ), and current coupling (from 16 to 20 MA). Individual parametric scans of the initial magnetic field and laser preheat energy show the expected trends, demonstrating the importance of magnetic insulation and the impact of the Nernst effect for this concept. A drive-current scan shows that present experiments operate close to the point where implosion stability is a limiting factor in performance, demonstrating the need to raise fuel pressure as drive current is increased. Simulations that capture these experimental trends indicate that another order of magnitude increase in yield on the Z facility is possible with additional increases of input parameters.

Tracking long-term environmental change is important, particularly for freshwater ecosystems, often with high rates of decline. Waterbirds are key indicators of freshwater ecosystem change, with groups reflecting food availability (e.g. piscivores and fish). We store waterbird (species abundance, numbers of nests and broods) and wetland area data from aerial surveys of waterbirds across Australia, mostly at the species’ level (∼100 species) from three aerial survey programs: Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey, National Survey and Murray-Darling Basin wetlands. Across eastern Australia, we survey up to 2,000 wetlands annually (October, since 1983), along 10 survey bands (30 km wide), east to west across about one third of Australia. In 2008, we surveyed 4,858 wetlands across Australia and each year (since 2010) we survey the major wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin. These data inform regulation of hunting seasons in Victoria and South Australia, Game bird culling in NSW, State of the Environment Reporting, environmental assessments, river and wetland management, the status of individual species and identification of high conservation sites., Measurement(s)population • numbers of waterbird species • brood size • nest countTechnology Type(s)visual observation methodFactor Type(s)year • geographic locationSample Characteristic - OrganismAvesSample Characteristic - Environmentwetland areaSample Characteristic - LocationAustralia Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12280112

Ultrafast x-ray imagers developed at Sandia National Laboratories are a transformative diagnostic tool in inertial confinement fusion and high energy density physics experiments. The nanosecond time scales on which these devices operate are a regime with little precedent, and applicable characterization procedures are still developing. This paper presents pulsed x-ray characterization of the Icarus imager under a variety of illumination levels and timing modes. Results are presented for linearity of response, absolute sensitivity, variation of response with gate width, and image quality.

We present an overview of the magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) concept Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) pursued at Sandia National Laboratories and review some of the most prominent results since the initial experiments in 2013. In MagLIF, a centimeter-scale beryllium tube or ‘liner’ is filled with a fusion fuel, axially pre-magnetized, laser pre-heated, and finally imploded using up to 20 MA from the Z machine. All of these elements are necessary to generate a thermonuclear plasma: laser preheating raises the initial temperature of the fuel, the electrical current implodes the liner and quasi-adiabatically compresses the fuel via the Lorentz force, and the axial magnetic field limits thermal conduction from the hot plasma to the cold liner walls during the implosion. MagLIF is the first MIF concept to demonstrate fusion relevant temperatures, significant fusion production (>1013 primary DD neutron yield), and magnetic trapping of charged fusion particles. On a 60 MA next-generation pulsed-power machine, two-dimensional simulations suggest that MagLIF has the potential to generate multi-MJ yields with significant self-heating, a long-term goal of the US Stockpile Stewardship Program. At currents exceeding 65 MA, the high gains required for fusion energy could be achievable.

We report on experimental measurements of how an externally imposed magnetic field affects plasma heating by kJ-class, nanosecond laser pulses. The experiments reported here took place in gas cells analogous to magnetized liner inertial fusion targets. We observed significant changes in laser propagation and energy deposition scale lengths when a 12T external magnetic field was imposed in the gas cell. We find evidence that the axial magnetic field reduces radial electron thermal transport, narrows the width of the heated plasma, and increases the axial plasma length. Reduced thermal conductivity increases radial thermal gradients. This enhances radial hydrodynamic expansion and subsequent thermal self-focusing. Our experiments and supporting 3D simulations in helium demonstrate that magnetization leads to higher thermal gradients, higher peak temperatures, more rapid blast wave development, and beam focusing with an applied field of 12T.

At the Z Facility at Sandia National Laboratories, the magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) program aims to study the inertial confinement fusion in deuterium-filled gas cells by implementing a three-step process on the fuel: premagnetization, laser preheat, and Z-pinch compression. In the laser preheat stage, the Z-Beamlet laser focuses through a thin polyimide window to enter the gas cell and heat the fusion fuel. However, it is known that the presence of the few μm thick window reduces the amount of laser energy that enters the gas and causes window material to mix into the fuel. These effects are detrimental to achieving fusion; therefore, a windowless target is desired. The Lasergate concept is designed to accomplish this by “cutting” the window and allowing the interior gas pressure to push the window material out of the beam path just before the heating laser arrives. In this work, we present the proof-of-principle experiments to evaluate a laser-cutting approach to Lasergate and explore the subsequent window and gas dynamics. Further, an experimental comparison of gas preheat with and without Lasergate gives clear indications of an energy deposition advantage using the Lasergate concept, as well as other observed and hypothesized benefits. While Lasergate was conceived with MagLIF in mind, the method is applicable to any laser or diagnostic application requiring direct line of sight to the interior of gas cell targets.

The world's freshwater biotas are declining in diversity, range and abundance, more than in other realms, with human appropriation of water. Despite considerable data on the distribution of dams and their hydrological effects on river systems, there are few expansive and long analyses of impacts on freshwater biota. We investigated trends in waterbird communities over 32 years, (1983–2014), at three spatial scales in two similarly sized large river basins, with contrasting levels of water resource development, representing almost a third (29%) of Australia: the Murray–Darling Basin and the Lake Eyre Basin. The Murray–Darling Basin is Australia's most developed river basin (240 dams storing 29,893 GL) while the Lake Eyre Basin is one of the less developed basins (1 dam storing 14 GL). We compared the long-term responses of waterbird communities in the two river basins at river basin, catchment and major wetland scales. Waterbird abundances were strongly related to river flows and rainfall. For the developed Murray–Darling Basin, we identified significant long-term declines in total abundances, functional response groups (e.g., piscivores) and individual species of waterbird (n = 50), associated with reductions in cumulative annual flow. These trends indicated ecosystem level changes. Contrastingly, we found no evidence of waterbird declines in the undeveloped Lake Eyre Basin. We also modelled the effects of the Australian Government buying up water rights and returning these to the riverine environment, at a substantial cost (>3.1 AUD billion) which were projected to partly (18% improvement) restore waterbird abundances, but projected climate change effects could reduce these benefits considerably to only a 1% or 4% improvement, with respective annual recovery of environmental flows of 2,800 GL or 3,200 GL. Our unique large temporal and spatial scale analyses demonstrated severe long-term ecological impact of water resource development on prominent freshwater animals, with implications for global management of water resources.

Radiative shocks and blast waves are important in many astrophysical contexts, such as supernova remnant formation, cosmic ray production, and gamma ray bursts. Structure formation on radiative blast wave fronts in late-stage supernova remnants is expected to play a role in star formation via seeding of the Jeans instability. The origin of these structures is believed to be an instability described theoretically by Vishniac [1], which has been subject to continued numerical and experimental study. We report here on a series of experiments designed to examine the effect of magnetic fields on the Vishniac overstability. Preliminary results suggest that a strong transverse magnetic field appears to shift the overstability to longer wavelengths, which may have implications for gravitational star formation models. We present unmagnetized results from an experiment in progress which decomposes the spatial structure of the blast wave for quantitative analysis of magnetic and radiative effects.

Hybrid CMOS multi-frame imagers with exposure times down to ∼2 ns have made significant impacts in high energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion research. The detector thickness is a key parameter in both detector quantum efficiency and temporal response. The Icarus hybrid CMOS imager has been fabricated with Si detector thicknesses of 8, 25, and 100 µm. The temporal response of imaging sensors with exposure time down to 2 ns has been examined and compared to directly measured photodiode current. The 100-μm thick variant displays extended features related to charge carrier collection and is more susceptible to field collapse. We also demonstrate charge collection time effects on spatial response.

Pulsed power accelerators compress electrical energy in space and time to provide versatile experimental platforms for high energy density and inertial confinement fusion science. The 80-TW “Z” pulsed power facility at Sandia National Laboratories is the largest pulsed power device in the world today. Z discharges up to 22 MJ of energy stored in its capacitor banks into a current pulse that rises in 100 ns and peaks at a current as high as 30 MA in low-inductance cylindrical targets. Considerable progress has been made over the past 15 years in the use of pulsed power as a precision scientific tool. This paper reviews developments at Sandia in inertial confinement fusion, dynamic materials science, x-ray radiation science, and pulsed power engineering, with an emphasis on progress since a previous review of research on Z in Physics of Plasmas in 2005.

We report experimental results on the stability of a magnetized laser-launched blast wave scaled to simulate a late-stage supernova remnant. We extend previous results to show the effect of a dynamically significant magnetic field on the spatial mode spectrum of the instability. We find that magnetic fields reduce instability growth, possibly influencing turbulent feedback to the interstellar medium.

Understanding the mechanisms which drive large scale population dynamics of highly mobile organisms, such as birds, is as challenging as it is important. For waterbirds depending on Australia's dryland rivers, little is known about the spatiotemporal dynamics and degree of population synchrony, despite its importance for conservation theory and practice. We examined spatial synchrony in 50 waterbird species using aerial survey data over the past three decades (1983–2016), across two of Australia's largest river basins, representing almost a third of the continent using state-space models. There was broad synchrony in the responses of Australian waterbird numbers in wetlands, varying among functional response groups, reflecting the spatiotemporal mosaic of flooded wetlands across multiple scales. Ducks, the most abundant functional response group, and herbivorous waterbirds displayed strong spatiotemporal synchrony within and between the Lake Eyre Basin and Murray-Darling Basin, while synchrony of piscivores was patchier. In contrast, large waders and particularly shorebirds had poor synchronicity. While rainfall among catchments within river basins was highly correlated, streamflow was correspondingly weakly correlated in the Murray-Darling Basin primarily because river regulation had separated rainfall from flow and inundation, potentially compromising waterbird response triggers. There are clear conservation implications for wetlands and their waterbird populations, principally the protection of natural flow regimes in the Lake Eyre Basin and where needed, restoration of environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin. Also, management of waterbirds needs to often extend beyond the boundaries of basins.

Fast x-ray detectors are critical tools in pulsed power and fusion applications, where detector impulse response of a nanosecond or better is often required. Semiconductor detectors can create fast, sensitive devices with extensive operational flexibility. There is typically a trade-off between detector sensitivity and speed, but higher atomic number absorbers can increase hard x-ray absorption without increasing the charge collection time, provided carriers achieve high velocity. This paper presents x-ray pulse characterization conducted at the Advanced Photon Source of x-ray absorption efficiency and temporal impulse response of current-mode semiconductor x-ray detectors composed of Si, GaAs, and CdTe.

Herein we present details of the design, simulation, and performance of a 100-GW linear transformer driver (LTD) cavity at Sandia National Laboratories. The cavity consists of 20 “bricks.” Each brick is comprised of two 80 nF, 100 kV capacitors connected electrically in series with a custom, 200 kV, three-electrode, field-distortion gas switch. The brick capacitors are bipolar charged to ±100 kV for a total switch voltage of 200 kV. Typical brick circuit parameters are 40 nF capacitance (two 80 nF capacitors in series) and 160 nH inductance. The switch electrodes are fabricated from a WCu alloy and are operated with breathable air. Over the course of 6,556 shots the cavity generated a peak electrical current and power of 1.03 MA (±1.8%) and 106 GW (±3.1%). Experimental results are consistent (to within uncertainties) with circuit simulations for normal operation, and expected failure modes including prefire and late-fire events. New features of this development that are reported here in detail include: (1) 100 ns, 1 MA, 100-GW output from a 2.2 m diameter LTD into a 0.1 Ω load, (2) high-impedance solid charging resistors that are optimized for this application, and (3) evaluation of maintenance-free trigger circuits using capacitive coupling and inductive isolation.

The single-line-of-sight, time-resolved x-ray imager (SLOS-TRXI) on OMEGA is one of a new generation of fast-gated x-ray cameras comprising an electron pulse-dilation imager and a nanosecond-gated, burst-mode, hybrid complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor. SLOS-TRXI images the core of imploded cryogenic deuterium–tritium shells in inertial confinement fusion experiments in the ∼4- to 9-keV photon energy range with a pinhole imager onto a photocathode. The diagnostic is mounted on a fixed port almost perpendicular to a 16-channel, framing-camera–based, time-resolved Kirkpatrick–Baez microscope, providing a second time-gated line of sight for hot-spot imaging on OMEGA. SLOS-TRXI achieves ∼40-ps temporal resolution and better than 10-μm spatial resolution. Shots with neutron yields of up to 1 × 1014 were taken without observed neutron-induced background signal. The implosion images from SLOS-TRXI show the evolution of the stagnating core.

Crystal x-ray imaging is frequently used in inertial confinement fusion and laser-plasma interaction applications as it has advantages compared to pinhole imaging, such as higher signal throughput, better achievable spatial resolution, and chromatic selection. However, currently used x-ray detectors are only able to obtain a single time resolved image per crystal. The dilation aided single-line-of-sight x-ray camera described here was designed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and combines two recent diagnostic developments, the pulse dilation principle used in the dilation x-ray imager and a ns-scale multi-frame camera that uses a hold and readout circuit for each pixel. This enables multiple images to be taken from a single-line-of-sight with high spatial and temporal resolution. At the moment, the instrument can record two single-line-of-sight images with spatial and temporal resolution of 35 μm and down to 35 ps, respectively, with a planned upgrade doubling the number of images to four. Here we present the dilation aided single-line-of-sight camera for the NIF, including the x-ray characterization measurements obtained at the COMET laser, as well as the results from the initial timing shot on the NIF.

Amplification of the transverse scattered component of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) can contribute to optical damage in the large aperture optics of multi-kJ lasers. Because increased laser bandwidth from optical phase modulation (PM) can suppress SBS, high energy laser amplifiers are injected with PM light. Phase modulation distributes the single-frequency spectrum of a master oscillator laser among individual PM sidebands, so a sufficiently high modulation index β can maintain the fluence for all spectral components below the SBS threshold. To avoid injection of single frequency light in the event of a PM failure, a high-speed PM failsafe system (PMFS) must be employed. Because PM is easily converted to AM, essentially all PM failsafes detect AM, with the one described here employing a novel configuration where optical heterodyne detection converts PM to AM, followed by passive AM power detection. Although the PMFS is currently configured for continuous monitoring, it can also detect PM for pulse durations ≥2 ns and could be modified to accommodate shorter pulses. This PMFS was deployed on the Z-Beamlet Laser (ZBL) at Sandia National Laboratories, as required by an energy upgrade to support programs at Sandia's Z Facility such as magnetized liner inertial fusion. Depending on the origin of a PM failure, the PMFS responds in as little as 7 ns. In the event of an instantaneous failure during initiation of a laser shot, this response time translates to a 30-50 ns margin of safety by blocking a pulse from leaving ZBL's regenerative amplifier, which prevents injection of single frequency light into the main amplification chain. The performance of the PMFS, without the need for operator interaction, conforms to the principles of engineered safety.

We are developing a novel diagnostic for measurement of bulk fluid motion in materials, that is particularly applicable to very hot, x-ray emitting plasmas in the High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) regime. The X-ray Doppler Velocimetry (XDV) technique relies on monochromatic imaging in multiple x-ray energy bands near the center of an x-ray emission line in a plasma, and utilizes bent imaging crystals. Higher energy bands are preferentially sensitive to plasma moving towards the viewer, while lower energy bands are preferentially sensitive to plasma moving away from the viewer. Combining multiple images in different energy bands allows for a reconstruction of the fluid velocity field integrated along the line of sight. We review the technique, and we discuss progress towards benchmarking the technique with proof-of-principle HEDP experiments.

Streak Cameras are an essential diagnostic tool used in shock physics and high energy density physics experiments. Such experiments require well calibrated temporally resolved diagnostics for studying events that occur in the nanosecond to microsecond time scales. Although streak cameras are among the most common detectors used within the high energy density physics community, they require frequent calibration and typically lack reproducibility in the fine detail. A solid state device with similar temporal performance characteristics could provide several advantages to current streak camera systems by utilizing discrete spatial resolution set by the sensor diodes. National Security Technologies (NSTec) has built a multi-channel solid state streak camera (SSSC) prototype, in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, as part of an ongoing project to develop the technology to a level competitive with analog streak cameras. The device concept and results from electronic testing of our first prototypes will be discussed in this manuscript. These measurements will be used as a base for future SSSC development projects.

The Daedalus camera is a second-generation imager for the Ultra-Fast X-ray Imager (UXI) program, achieving 1 ns, time-gated, multi-frame image sets for High Energy Density (HED) physics experiments. Daedalus includes a 1024 x 512 pixel array with 25 μm spatial resolution with three frames of storage per pixel with three times larger full well (1.5 million e-) than the last generation camera, Icarus. Daedalus incorporates an improved timing generation and distribution concept to facilitate broader user configurability and application space while improving timing resolution to 1 ns. Electrical timing measurements demonstrated 1 nanosecond shutters. Analog dynamic range is sufficient to provide the expected full well. Read noise of 210 e- has been measured, exceeding design goals. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

We have developed a conceptual design of a next-generation pulsed-power accelerator that is optimized for advanced high-energy-density-physics experiments. The prime power source of the machine consists of 210 impedance-matched Marx generators (IMGs). Each IMG drives a 150-ns-long coaxial-transmission-line impedance transformer. The coaxial lines provide a minimum of 300 ns of transit-time isolation between each pair of IMGs. The lines in turn drive six radial-transmission-line impedance transformers, which transport the power generated by the IMGs to a six-level vacuum-insulator stack. The stack is connected to six conical outer magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs); these are joined in parallel at a 12-cm radius by a triple-post-hole vacuum convolute. The convolute sums the electrical currents at the outputs of the six outer MITLs, and delivers the combined current to a single short inner MITL. The inner MITL transmits the combined current to the accelerator's physics load. Since the accelerator would be the largest and most-powerful pulsed-power machine developed to date, we refer to it as Jupiter. The conceptual design of Jupiter is 72 m in diameter, stores 140 MJ of electrical energy, and generates 960 TW of peak electrical power at the output of the IMG system. The design delivers 2700 TW, 67 MA, and 9.2 MJ in a 110-ns pulse to a 0D magnetized-liner inertial-fusion (MagLIF) target. The principal goal of the design is to achieve high-yield thermonuclear fusion; i.e., a fusion yield that exceeds the energy initially stored by the accelerator's capacitors.

Streak Cameras are an essential diagnostic tool used in shock physics and high energy density physics experiments. Such experiments require well calibrated temporally resolving diagnostics for studying events that occur on the nanosecond to microsecond time scales. The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have built a 42-channel solid state streak camera (SSSC) prototype as a proof of concept for use as a streak camera replacement. This work is part of an ongoing project to develop the technology to a level competitive with analog streak cameras. The device concept, results from electronic and laser testing, along with recent improvements to increase the device's dynamic range will be discussed in this manuscript.

A multi-frame shadowgraphy diagnostic has been developed and applied to laser preheat experiments relevant to the Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) concept. The diagnostic views the plasma created by laser preheat in MagLIF-relevant gas cells immediately after the laser deposits energy as well as the resulting blast wave evolution later in time. The expansion of the blast wave is modeled with 1D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that relate the boundary of the blast wave at a given time to the energy deposited into the fuel. This technique is applied to four different preheat protocols that have been used in integrated MagLIF experiments to infer the amount of energy deposited by the laser into the fuel. The results of the integrated MagLIF experiments are compared with those of two-dimensional LASNEX simulations. The best performing shots returned neutron yields ∼40–55% of the simulated predictions for three different preheat protocols.

This paper covers the preliminary design of a radiation tolerant nanosecond-gated multi-frame CMOS camera system for use in the NIF. Electrical component performance data from 14 MeV neutron and cobalt 60 radiation testing will be discussed. The recent development of nanosecond-gated multi-frame hybrid-CMOS (hCMOS) focal plane arrays by the Ultrafast X-ray Imaging (UXI) group at Sandia National Lab has generated a need for custom camera electronics to operate in the pulsed radiation environment of the NIF target chamber. Design requirements and performance data for the prototype camera system will be discussed. The design and testing approach for the radiation tolerant camera system will be covered along with the evaluation of commercial off the shelf (COTS) electronic component such as FPGAs, voltage regulators, ADCs, DACs, optical transceivers, and other electronic components. Performance changes from radiation exposure on select components will be discussed. Integration considerations for x-ray imaging diagnostics on the NIF will also be covered.

We present a characterization technique for nanosecond gated CMOS cameras designed and built by Sandia National Laboratory under their Ultra-Fast X-ray Imager program. The cameras have been used to record images during HED physics experiments at Sandia’s Z Facility and at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility. The behavior of the camera’s fast shutters was not expected to be ideal since they propagate over a large pixel array of 25 mm x 12 mm, which could result in shutter timing skew, variations in the FWHM, and variations in the shutter’s peak response. Consequently, a detailed characterization of the camera at the pixel level was critical for interpreting the images. Assuming the pixel’s photo-response was linear, the shutter profiles for each pixel were simplified to a pair of sigmoid functions using standard non-linear fitting methods to make the subsequent analysis less computationally intensive. A pixel-level characterization of a ”Furi” camera showed frame-to-frame gain variations that could be normalized with a gain mask and significant timing skew at the sensor’s center column that could not be corrected. The shutter profiles for Furi were then convolved with data generated from computational models to forward fit images collected with the camera.

The Hippogriff camera developed at Sandia National Laboratories as part of the Ultra-Fast X-ray Imager (UXI) program is a high-speed, multi-frame, time-gated imager for use on a wide variety of High Energy Density (HED) physics experiments on both Sandia’s Z-Machine and the National Ignition Facility. The camera is a 1024 x 448 pixel array with 25 μm spatial resolution, containing 2 frames per pixel natively and has achieved 2 ns minimum integration time. It is sensitive to both optical photons as well as soft X-rays up to ~6 keV. The Hippogriff camera is the second generation UXI camera that contains circuitry to trade spatial resolution for additional frames of temporal coverage. The user can reduce the row-wise spatial resolution from the native 25 μm to increase the number of frames in a data set to 4 frames at 50 μm or 8 frames at 100 μm spatial resolution. This feature, along with both optical and X-ray sensitivity, facilitates additional experimental flexibility. Minimum signal is 1500 erms and full well is 1.5 million e-.

Sandia National Laboratories is pursuing a variation of Magneto-Inertial Fusion called Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion, or MagLIF. The MagLIF approach requires magnetization of the deuterium fuel, which is accomplished by an initial external B-Field and laser-driven pre-heat. While magnetization is crucial to the concept, it is challenging to couple sufficient energy to the fuel, since laser-plasma instabilities exist, and a compromise between laser spot size, laser entrance window thickness, and fuel density must be found. Nonlinear processes in laser plasma interaction, or laser-plasma instabilities (LPI), complicate the deposition of laser energy by enhanced absorption, backscatter, filamentation and beam-spray. Key LPI processes are determined, and mitigation methods are discussed. Results with and without improvement measures are presented.

High current pulsed-power generators efficiently store and deliver magnetic energy to z-pinch targets. We review applications of magnetically driven implosions (MDIs) to inertial confinement fusion. Previous research on MDIs of wire-array z-pinches for radiation-driven indirect-drive target designs is summarized. Indirect-drive designs are compared with new targets that are imploded by direct application of magnetic pressure produced by the pulsed-power current pulse. We describe target design elements such as larger absorbed energy, magnetized and pre-heated fuel, and cryogenic fuel layers that may relax fusion requirements. These elements are embodied in the magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) concept [Slutz “Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser pre-heated fuel magnetized with an axial field,” Phys. Plasmas, 17, 056303 (2010), and Stephen A. Slutz and Roger A. Vesey, “High-Gain Magnetized Inertial Fusion,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 108, 025003 (2012)]. MagLIF is in the class of magneto-inertial fusion targets. In MagLIF, the large drive currents produce an azimuthal magnetic field that compresses cylindrical liners containing pre-heated and axially pre-magnetized fusion fuel. Scientific breakeven may be achievable on the Z facility with this concept. Simulations of MagLIF with deuterium-tritium fuel indicate that the fusion energy yield can exceed the energy invested in heating the fuel at a peak drive current of about 27 MA. Scientific breakeven does not require alpha particle self-heating and is therefore not equivalent to ignition. Capabilities to perform these experiments will be developed on Z starting in 2013. These simulations and predictions must be validated against a series of experiments over the next five years. Near-term experiments are planned at drive currents of 16 MA with D2 fuel. MagLIF increases the efficiency of coupling energy (=target absorbed energy/driver stored energy) to targets by 10-150X relative to indirect-drive targets. MagLIF also increases the absolute energy absorbed by the target by 10-50X relative to indirect-drive targets. These increases could lead to higher fusion gains and yields. Single-shot high yields are of great utility to national security missions. Higher efficiency and higher gains may also translate into more compelling (lower cost and complexity) fusion reactor designs. We will discuss the broad goals of the emerging research on the MagLIF concept and identify some of the challenges. We will also summarize advances in pulsed-power technology and pulsed-power driver architectures that double the efficiency of the driver.

A series of Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments have been conducted in order to investigate the mix introduced from various target surfaces during the laser preheat stage. The material mixing was measured spectroscopically for a variety of preheat protocols by employing mid-atomic number surface coatings applied to different regions of the MagLIF target. The data show that the material from the top cushion region of the target can be mixed into the fuel during preheat. For some preheat protocols, our experiments show that the laser-entrance-hole (LEH) foil used to contain the fuel can be transported into the fuel a significant fraction of the stagnation length and degrade the target performance. Preheat protocols using pulse shapes of a few-ns duration result in the observable LEH foil mix both with and without phase-plate beam smoothing. In order to reduce this material mixing, a new capability was developed to allow for a low energy (∼20 J) laser pre-pulse to be delivered early in time (−20 ns) before the main laser pulse (∼1.5 kJ). In experiments, this preheat protocol showed no indications of the LEH foil mix. The experimental results are broadly in agreement with pre-shot two-dimensional HYDRA simulations that helped motivate the development of the early pre-pulse capability.

The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion concept (MagLIF) [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] is being studied on the Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Neutron yields greater than 1012 have been achieved with a drive current in the range of 17–18 MA and pure deuterium fuel [Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)]. We show that 2D simulated yields are about twice the best yields obtained on Z and that a likely cause of this difference is the mix of material into the fuel. Mitigation strategies are presented. Previous numerical studies indicate that much larger yields (10–1000 MJ) should be possible with pulsed power machines producing larger drive currents (45–60 MA) than can be produced by the Z machine [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 23, 022702 (2016)]. To test the accuracy of these 2D simulations, we present modifications to MagLIF experiments using the existing Z facility, for which 2D simulations predict a 100-fold enhancement of MagLIF fusion yields and considerable increases in burn temperatures. Experimental verification of these predictions would increase the credibility of predictions at higher drive currents.The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion concept (MagLIF) [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] is being studied on the Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Neutron yields greater than 1012 have been achieved with a drive current in the range of 17–18 MA and pure deuterium fuel [Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)]. We show that 2D simulated yields are about twice the best yields obtained on Z and that a likely cause of this difference is the mix of material into the fuel. Mitigation strategies are presented. Previous numerical studies indicate that much larger yields (10–1000 MJ) should be possible with pulsed power machines producing larger drive currents (45–60 MA) than can be produced by the Z machine [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 23, 022702 (2016)]. To test the accuracy of these 2D simulations, we present modifications to MagLIF experiments using the existing Z facility, for which 2D simulations predict a 100-fold enhancement of MagLIF fusion yields and considerable increase...

A new generation of fast-gated x-ray framing cameras have been developed that are capable of capturing multiple frames along a single line-of-sight with 30 ps temporal resolution. The instruments are constructed by integrating pulse-dilation electron imaging with burst mode hybrid-complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensors. Two such instruments have been developed, characterized, and fielded at the National Ignition Facility and the OMEGA laser. These instruments are particularly suited for advanced x-ray imaging applications in Inertial Confinement Fusion and High energy density experiments. Here, we discuss the system architecture and the techniques required for tuning the instruments to achieve optimal performance. Characterization results are also presented along with planned future improvements to the design.

X-ray diffraction measurements to characterize phase transitions of dynamically compressed high-Z matter at Mbar pressures require both sufficient photon energy and fluence to create data with high fidelity in a single shot. Large-scale laser systems can be used to generate x-ray sources above 10 keV utilizing line radiation of mid-Z elements. However, the laser-to-x-ray energy conversion efficiency at these energies is low, and thermal x-rays or hot electrons result in unwanted background. We employ polycapillary x-ray lenses in powder x-ray diffraction measurements using solid target x-ray emission from either the Z-Beamlet long-pulse or the Z-Petawatt (ZPW) short-pulse laser systems at Sandia National Laboratories. Polycapillary lenses allow for a 100-fold fluence increase compared to a conventional pinhole aperture while simultaneously reducing the background significantly. This enables diffraction measurements up to 16 keV at the few-photon signal level as well as diffraction experiments with ZPW at full intensity.

Most of the modern high-current high-voltage pulsed power generators require several stages of pulse conditioning (pulse forming) to convert the multimicrosecond pulses of the Marx generator output to the 40-300-ns pulses required by a number of applications including X-ray radiography, pulsed high-current linear accelerators, Z-pinch, isentropic compression, and inertial fusion energy drivers. This makes the devices large, cumbersome to operate, and expensive. Sandia, in collaboration with a number of other institutions, is developing a new paradigm in pulsed power technology: the linear transformer driver (LTD) technology. This technological approach can provide very compact devices that can deliver very fast high-current and high-voltage pulses. The output pulse rise time and width can be easily tailored to the specific application needs. Trains of a large number of high-current pulses can be produced with variable interpulse separation from nanoseconds to milliseconds. Most importantly, these devices can be rep-rated to frequencies only limited by the capacitor specifications (usually 10 Hz). Their footprint, as compared with current day pulsed power accelerators, is considerably smaller since LTD do not require large oil and deionized water tanks. This makes them ideally suited for applications that require portability. In this paper, we present Sandia National Laboratories' broad spectrum of developmental effort to design construct and extensively validate the LTD pulsed power technology.

The size, temporal and spatial shape, and energy content of a laser pulse for the pre-heat phase of magneto-inertial fusion affect the ability to penetrate the window of the laser-entrance-hole and to heat the fuel behind it. High laser intensities and dense targets are subject to laser-plasma-instabilities (LPI), which can lead to an effective loss of pre-heat energy or to pronounced heating of areas that should stay unexposed. While this problem has been the subject of many studies over the last decades, the investigated parameters were typically geared towards traditional laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) with densities either at 10% and above or at 1% and below the laser's critical density, electron temperatures of 3–5 keV, and laser powers near (or in excess of) 1 × 1015 W/cm2. In contrast, Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010) and Slutz and Vesey, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 025003 (2012)] currently operates at 5% of the laser's critical dens...

Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) and their wetland habitats are under threat worldwide. While data exist for shorebird population trends for many parts of the world, two thirds of Australia’s populations have not been assessed. We report the results of a large-scale aerial shorebird survey, sampling about a third of the Australian continent over a period of 24 years (1983–2006). Migratory shorebirds have declined by 73%, Australian resident shorebirds by 81%. Of the 10 wetlands supporting the highest number of shorebirds within the survey bands, eight were inland wetlands and only two coastal, emphasising the importance of inland wetlands for shorebirds. Wetland area decreased significantly at four of the 10 main sites. Annual rainfall showed no trends (1983–2005) but water extraction was substantial for four of the 10 wetlands, contributing to reduced flooding extent and frequency. Loss of wetlands due to river regulation is a significant contributor to the drastic decline in shorebird numbers in Australia, largely unrecognized in international conservation agreements in Australia.

We have developed high damage threshold filters to modify the spatial profile of a high energy laser beam. The filters are formed by laser ablation of a transmissive window. The ablation sites constitute scattering centers which can be filtered in a subsequent spatial filter. By creating the filters in dielectric materials, we see an increased laser-induced damage threshold from previous filters created using ‘metal on glass’ lithography.

The Z-backlighter laser facility primarily consists of two high energy, high-power laser systems. Z-Beamlet laser (ZBL) (Rambo et al., Appl. Opt. 44, 2421 (2005)) is a multi-kJ-class, nanosecond laser operating at 1054 nm which is frequency doubled to 527 nm in order to provide x-ray backlighting of high energy density events on the Z-machine. Z-Petawatt (ZPW) (Schwarz et al., J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 112, 032020 (2008)) is a petawatt-class system operating at 1054 nm delivering up to 500 J in 500 fs for backlighting and various short-pulse laser experiments (see also Figure 10 for a facility overview). With the development of the magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) concept on the Z-machine, the primary backlighting missions of ZBL and ZPW have been adjusted accordingly. As a result, we have focused our recent efforts on increasing the output energy of ZBL from 2 to 4 kJ at 527 nm by modifying the fiber front end to now include extra bandwidth (for stimulated Brillouin scattering suppression). The MagLIF concept requires a well-defined/behaved beam for interaction with the pressurized fuel. Hence we have made great efforts to implement an adaptive optics system on ZBL and have explored the use of phase plates. We are also exploring concepts to use ZPW as a backlighter for ZBL driven MagLIF experiments. Alternatively, ZPW could be used as an additional fusion fuel pre-heater or as a temporally flexible high energy pre-pulse. All of these concepts require the ability to operate the ZPW in a nanosecond long-pulse mode, in which the beam can co-propagate with ZBL. Some of the proposed modifications are complete and most of them are well on their way.

The inertial confinement fusion (ICF) programme, the high-average-power lasers (HAPL) programme, and the heavy ion fusion (HIF) programme are making long-term investments to establish the scientific and technical basis for an economically and environmentally attractive fusion power source. In the near term, the National Ignition Campaign is expected to establish the scientific and technical basis for ignition and gain on the National Ignition Facility. The results of these experiments and the implications for target design will be incorporated into the long-term efforts to develop a viable power-plant concept including target production, chamber dynamics and driver.

We have performed a series of experiments examining the properties of high Mach number blast waves. Experiments were conducted on the Z-Beamlet laser at Sandia National Laboratories. We created blast waves in the laboratory by using ∼1000 J laser pulses to illuminate millimeter scale solid targets immersed in gas. Our experiments studied the validity of theories forwarded by Ryu and Vishniac (1987, 1991) and Vishniac (1983) to explain the dynamics of perturbations on astrophysical blast waves. These experiments consisted of a systematic scan of the decay rates of perturbations of known primary mode number induced on the surface of blast waves by means of a regularly spaced wire array. The amplitude of the induced perturbations relative to the radius of the blast wave was tracked and fit to a power law in time. Measurements were taken for a number of different mode numbers in a mixed gas consisting of 7.5 Torr xenon and 2.5 Torr nitrogen and the results are compared to theoretical predictions. It is found that two of the three mode numbers imply one polytropic index while the third case, which is the most complicated for several reasons, implies a higher polytropic index.

Conductive and electroactive polymers have the potential to enhance engineered cardiac tissue function. In this study, an interpenetrating network of the electrically-conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) was grown within a matrix of flexible polycaprolactone (PCL) and evaluated as a platform for directing the formation of functional cardiac cell sheets. PCL films were either treated with sodium hydroxide to render them more hydrophilic and enhance cell adhesion or rendered electroactive with PPy grown via chemical polymerization yielding PPy–PCL that had a resistivity of 1.0 ± 0.4 kΩ cm, which is similar to native cardiac tissue. Both PCL and PPy–PCL films supported cardiomyocyte attachment; increasing the duration of PCL pre-treatment with NaOH resulted in higher numbers of adherent cardiomyocytes per unit area, generating cell densities which were more similar to those on PPy–PCL films (1568 ± 126 cells mm −2 , 2880 ± 439 cells mm −2 , 3623 ± 456 cells mm −2 for PCL with 0, 24, 48 h of NaOH pretreatment, respectively; 2434 ± 166 cells mm −2 for PPy–PCL). When cardiomyocytes were cultured on the electrically-conductive PPy–PCL, more cells were observed to have peripheral localization of the gap junction protein connexin-43 (Cx43) as compared to cells on NaOH-treated PCL (60.3 ± 4.3% vs. 46.6 ± 5.7%). Cx43 gene expression remained unchanged between materials. Importantly, the velocity of calcium wave propagation was faster and calcium transient duration was shorter for cardiomyocyte monolayers on PPy–PCL (1612 ± 143 μm/s, 910 ± 63 ms) relative to cells on PCL (1129 ± 247 μm/s, 1130 ± 20 ms). In summary, PPy–PCL has demonstrated suitability as an electrically-conductive substrate for culture of cardiomyocytes , yielding enhanced functional properties; results encourage further development of conductive substrates for use in differentiation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and cardiac tissue engineering applications. Statement of Significance Current conductive materials for use in cardiac regeneration are limited by cytotoxicity or cost in implementation. In this manuscript, we demonstrate for the first time the application of a biocompatible, conductive polypyrrole–polycaprolactone film as a platform for culturing cardiomyocytes for cardiac regeneration. This study shows that the novel conductive film is capable of enhancing cell–cell communication through the formation of connexin-43, leading to higher velocities for calcium wave propagation and reduced calcium transient durations among cultured cardiomyocyte monolayers. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that chemical modification of polycaprolactone through alkaline-mediated hydrolysis increased overall cardiomyocyte adhesion. The results of this study provide insight into how cardiomyocytes interact with conductive substrates and will inform future research efforts to enhance the functional properties of cardiomyocytes, which is critical for their use in pharmaceutical testing and cell therapy.

Here, we have developed conceptual designs of two petawatt-class pulsed-power accelerators: Z 300 and Z 800. The designs are based on an accelerator architecture that is founded on two concepts: single-stage electrical-pulse compression and impedance matching [Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 10, 030401 (2007)]. The prime power source of each machine consists of 90 linear-transformer-driver (LTD) modules. Each module comprises LTD cavities connected electrically in series, each of which is powered by 5-GW LTD bricks connected electrically in parallel. (A brick comprises a single switch and two capacitors in series.) Six water-insulated radial-transmission-line impedance transformers transport the power generated by the modules to a six-level vacuum-insulator stack. The stack serves as the accelerator’s water-vacuum interface. The stack is connected to six conical outer magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs), which are joined in parallel at a 10-cm radius by a triple-post-hole vacuum convolute. The convolute sums the electrical currents at the outputs of the six outer MITLs, and delivers the combined current to a single short inner MITL. The inner MITL transmits the combined current to the accelerator’s physics-package load. Z 300 is 35 m in diameter and stores 48 MJ of electrical energy in its LTD capacitors. The acceleratormore » generates 320 TW of electrical power at the output of the LTD system, and delivers 48 MA in 154 ns to a magnetized-liner inertial-fusion (MagLIF) target [Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. The peak electrical power at the MagLIF target is 870 TW, which is the highest power throughout the accelerator. Power amplification is accomplished by the centrally located vacuum section, which serves as an intermediate inductive-energy-storage device. The principal goal of Z 300 is to achieve thermonuclear ignition; i.e., a fusion yield that exceeds the energy transmitted by the accelerator to the liner. 2D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations suggest Z 300 will deliver 4.3 MJ to the liner, and achieve a yield on the order of 18 MJ. Z 800 is 52 m in diameter and stores 130 MJ. This accelerator generates 890 TW at the output of its LTD system, and delivers 65 MA in 113 ns to a MagLIF target. The peak electrical power at the MagLIF liner is 2500 TW. The principal goal of Z 800 is to achieve high-yield thermonuclear fusion; i.e., a yield that exceeds the energy initially stored by the accelerator’s capacitors. 2D MHD simulations suggest Z 800 will deliver 8.0 MJ to the liner, and achieve a yield on the order of 440 MJ. Z 300 and Z 800, or variations of these accelerators, will allow the international high-energy-density-physics community to conduct advanced inertial-confinement-fusion, radiation-physics, material-physics, and laboratory-astrophysics experiments over heretofore-inaccessible parameter regimes.« less

Gated x-ray images through the laser entrance hole (LEH) of a hohlraum can provide critical information for ICF experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), such as the size of the LEH vs time, the growth of the gold bubble 1 , and the change in the brightness of inner beam spots due to time-varying cross beam energy transfer 2 . Incorporating a high-speed multi-frame CMOS x-ray imager developed by Sandia National Laboratories 3,4 into the existing Static X-ray Imager (SXI) diagnostic5 at NIF, the new Gated LEH Imager #1 (G-LEH-1) diagnostic is capable of capturing two to four LEH images per shot on its 1024x448 pixel photo detector array, with integration times as low as 2 ns per frame. The design of this diagnostic and its implementation on NIF will be presented.

The Ultra-Fast X-ray Imager (UXI) program is an ongoing effort at Sandia National Laboratories to create high speed, multi-frame, time gated Read Out Integrated Circuits (ROICs), and a corresponding suite of photodetectors to image a wide variety of High Energy Density (HED) physics experiments on both Sandia’s Z-Machine and the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The program is currently fielding a 1024 x 448 prototype camera with 25 μm pixel spatial resolution, 2 frames of in-pixel storage and the possibility of exchanging spatial resolution to achieve 4 or 8 frames of storage. The camera’s minimum integration time is 2 ns. Minimum signal target is 1500 e- rms and full well is 1.5 million e-. The design and initial characterization results will be presented as well as a description of future imagers.

Dryland rivers have considerable flow variability, producing complex ecosystems, processes, and communities of organisms that vary over space and time. They are also among the more vulnerable of the world’s ecosystems. A key strategy for conservation of dryland rivers is identifying and maintaining key sites for biodiversity conservation, particularly protecting the quantity and quality of flow and flooding regimes. Extreme variability considerably challenges freshwater conservation planning. We systematically prioritised wetlands for waterbirds (simultaneously for 52 species), across about 13.5% of the Murray-Darling Basin (1,061,469 km2), using a 30-year record of systematic aerial surveys of waterbird populations. Nine key wetlands in this area, primarily lakes, floodplains, and swamps, consistently contributed to a representation target (80%) of total abundances of all 52 waterbird species. The long temporal span of our data included dramatic availability (i.e., booms) and scarcity (i.e., busts) of water, providing a unique opportunity to test prioritisation at extremes of variation. These extremes represented periods when waterbirds were breeding or concentrating on refugia, varying wetland prioritisation. In dry years, important wetlands for waterbirds were riverine and lacustrine (12 wetlands) but this changed in wet years to lacustrine and palustrine (8 wetlands). Such variation in ecosystem condition substantially changes the relative importance of individual wetlands for waterbirds during boom and bust phases. Incorporating this variability is necessary for effective conservation of Murray-Darling Basin waterbirds, with considerable generality for other similarly variable systems around the world.

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion1 (MagLIF) is a magneto-inertial fusion concept being evaluated on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories. In MagLIF, first an axial magnetic field is applied to a metal cylinder filled deuterium gas, next a laser heats the deuterium gas to 100s of eV, and then the target is magnetically-imploded using the Z machine current. The axial magnetic field reduces radial thermal conduction losses during laser heating and throughout the implosion, and it helps confine charged fusion products at stagnation. Laser heating increases the fuel temperature at the start of the implosion, which reduces the required radial convergence of the target to achieve multi-keV temperatures at stagnation.