Experiments to characterize a >100 keV, high resolution X-ray backlighter for cylindrical imploding liners at the Z machine

摘要

Equation of state (EOS) information of high-atomic number materials may be obtained via cylindrical liner implosion experiments at the Sandia National Laboratories Z facility. X-ray radiography measurements, beyond the current backlighting capabilities at Z (Z-Beamlet)¹, are desired for these experiments. Required characteristics of the x-ray source include: short pulse on the order of a picosecond, high photon fluence (several hundred mrads at 1 meter), greater than 100 keV effective photon energy, and a source size of less than 50 microns in at least one spatial direction. Particle-in-cell calculations suggest that a radiography source supplied by the Z-Petawatt laser incident on a high atomic number foil may meet these requirements. Typical laser parameters are: ∼100 J in a ∼500 fs pulse focused to ∼6 micron diameter at a laser wavelength of 1053 nm.