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

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 2ω) 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/cm3 and a core temperature from 30 eV up to 175 eV at maximum compression. An additional short laser pulse (10 ps, 160 J at ω) 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 Kα fluorescence from the target so as to determine the variations of fast electrons population during the compression. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.