title: Investigating high speed phenomena in laser plasma interactions using dilation x-ray imager (invited).
abstract: The DIlation X-ray Imager (DIXI) is a new, high-speed x-ray framing camera at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) sensitive to x-rays in the range of ≈2-17 keV. DIXI uses the pulse-dilation technique to achieve a temporal resolution of less than 10 ps, a ≈10× improvement over conventional framing cameras currently employed on the NIF (≈100 ps resolution), and otherwise only attainable with 1D streaked imaging. The pulse-dilation technique utilizes a voltage ramp to impart a velocity gradient on the signal-bearing electrons. The temporal response, spatial resolution, and x-ray sensitivity of DIXI are characterized with a short x-ray impulse generated using the COMET laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At the NIF a pinhole array at 10 cm from target chamber center (tcc) projects images onto the photocathode situated outside the NIF chamber wall with a magnification of ≈64×. DIXI will provide important capabilities for warm-dense-matter physics, high-energy-density science, and inertial confinement fusion, adding important capabilities to temporally resolve hot-spot formation, x-ray emission, fuel motion, and mix levels in the hot-spot at neutron yields of up to 10(17). We present characterization data as well as first results on electron-transport phenomena in buried-layer foil experiments.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hilsabeck
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piston
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Felker
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kilkenny
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sammuli
authors.affiliation: Kentech Instruments Ltd., Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hares
authors.affiliation: Kentech Instruments Ltd., Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A K L
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dymoke-Bradshaw