X-ray diagnostics of fast electrons propagation in high density plasmas obtained by cylindrical compression

Year: 2010

Authors: Vauzour B., Koenig M., Batani D., Baton S., Beg F.N., Benedetti C., Brambrink E., Chawla S., Dorchies F., Fourment C., Galimberti M., Gizzi LA., Heathcote R., Higginson D.P., Hulin S., Jafer R., Koester P., Labate L., Lancaster K.L., MacKinnon A.J., MacPhee A.G., Nazarov W., Nicolaï P.H., Pasley J., Perez F., Ribeyre X., Richetta M., Santos J.J., Schurtz G., Sgattoni A., Spindloe C., Volpe L.

Autors Affiliation: Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS-CEA, 33405 Talence, France; Laboratoire Pour l

Abstract: We report on X-ray diagnostics results from an experiment on fast electrons propagation in cylindrically compressed targets. It was performed on the VULCAN TAW laser facility at RAL (UK) using four long pulses (1ns, 70 J each at 2 omega) to compress a cylindrical polyimide target filled with CH foam at 3 different initial densities. The cylindrical geometry allows us to reach temperatures and densities higher than those obtained in planar geometry compression. 2D hydrodynamic simulations predicted a core density range from 4 to 8 g/cm(3) and a core temperature from 30 eV upto 175 eV at maximum compression. An additional short laser pulse (10 ps, 160J at omega) was focused on a Ni foil at one of the cylinder edges in order to generate a fast electrons current propagating along the compressed target. A X-ray radiography diagnostic was implemented in order to estimate the core plasma conditions of the compressed cylinder. Moreover two Bragg X-ray spectrometers collected the K fluorescence from the target so as to determine the variations of fast electrons population during the compression.

Conference title: 6th International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications
Place: San Francisco, CA SEP 06-11, 2009

More Information: This experiment is a part of the HiPER experimental roadmap and has been fully supported by the HiPER project.
KeyWords: Centered Lagrangian scheme; flow problems; crystals
DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/244/2/022027