25 research outputs found
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High order reflectivity of graphite (HOPG) crystals for x ray energies up to 22 keV
We used Kr K{alpha} (12.6 keV) and Ag K{alpha} (22.1 keV) x-rays, produced by petawatt class laser pulses interacting with a Kr gas jet and a silver foil, to measure the integrated crystal reflectivity of flat Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) up to fifth order. The reflectivity in fourth order is lower by a factor of 50 when compared to first order diffraction. In second order the integrated reflectivity decreases from 1.3 mrad at 12.6 keV to 0.5 mrad at 22.1 keV. The current study indicates that HOPG crystals are suitable for measuring scattering signals from high energy x ray sources (E {ge} 20 keV). These energies are required to penetrate through the high density plasma conditions encountered in inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility
Development of an Interpretive Simulation Tool for the Proton Radiography Technique
Proton radiography is a useful diagnostic of high energy density (HED)
plasmas under active theoretical and experimental development. In this paper we
describe a new simulation tool that interacts realistic laser-driven point-like
proton sources with three dimensional electromagnetic fields of arbitrary
strength and structure and synthesizes the associated high resolution proton
radiograph. The present tool's numerical approach captures all relevant physics
effects, including effects related to the formation of caustics.
Electromagnetic fields can be imported from PIC or hydrodynamic codes in a
streamlined fashion, and a library of electromagnetic field `primitives' is
also provided. This latter capability allows users to add a primitive, modify
the field strength, rotate a primitive, and so on, while quickly generating a
high resolution radiograph at each step. In this way, our tool enables the user
to deconstruct features in a radiograph and interpret them in connection to
specific underlying electromagnetic field elements. We show an example
application of the tool in connection to experimental observations of the
Weibel instability in counterstreaming plasmas, using particles
generated from a realistic laser-driven point-like proton source, imaging
fields which cover volumes of mm. Insights derived from this
application show that the tool can support understanding of HED plasmas.Comment: Figures and tables related to the Appendix are included in the
published journal articl
Thomson scattering diagnostic for the measurement of ion species fraction
Simultaneous Thomson scattering measurements of collective electron-plasma and ion-acoustic fluctuations have been utilized to determine ion species fraction from laser produced CH plasmas. The CH{sub 2} foil is heated with 10 laser beams, 500 J per beam, at the Omega Laser facility. Thomson scattering measurements are made 4 mm from the foil surface using a 30 J 2{omega} probe laser with a 1 ns pulse length. Using a series of target shots the plasma evolution is measured from 2.5 ns to 9 ns after the rise of the heater beams. Measuring the electron density and temperature from the electron-plasma fluctuations constrains the fit of the two-ion species theoretical form factor for the ion feature such that the ion temperature, plasma flow velocity and ion species fraction are determined. The ion species fraction is determined to an accuracy of {+-}0.06 in species fraction
Proton imaging of an electrostatic field structure formed in laser-produced counter-streaming plasmas
We report the measurements of electrostatic field structures associated with an electrostatic shock formed in laser-produced counter-streaming plasmas with proton imaging. The thickness of the electrostatic structure is estimated from proton images with different proton kinetic energies from 4.7 MeV to 10.7 MeV. The width of the transition region is characterized by electron scale length in the laser-produced plasma, suggesting that the field structure is formed due to a collisionless electrostatic shock
Laboratory evidence of dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in a turbulent plasma
Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe. The energy density of these fields is typically comparable to the energy density of the fluid motions of the plasma in which they are embedded, making magnetic fields essential players in the dynamics of the luminous matter. The standard theoretical model for the origin of these strong magnetic fields is through the amplification of tiny seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the level consistent with current observations. However, experimental demonstration of the turbulent dynamo mechanism has remained elusive, since it requires plasma conditions that are extremely hard to re-create in terrestrial laboratories. Here we demonstrate, using laser-produced colliding plasma flows, that turbulence is indeed capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. These results support the notion that turbulent dynamo is a viable mechanism responsible for the observed present-day magnetization
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Characterizing counter-streaming interpenetrating plasmas relevant to astrophysical collisionless shocks
Characterizing counter-streaming interpenetrating plasmas relevant to astrophysical collisionless shocks
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Mapping the Ionization State of Laser-Irradiated Ar Gas Jets With Multi-Wavelength Monochromatic X-Ray Imaging
Two-dimensional monochromatic images of fast-electron stimulated Ar K{alpha} and He-{alpha} x-ray self-emission have recorded a time-integrated map of the extent of Ar{sup {approx}6+} and Ar{sup 16+} ions, respectively, within a high density (10{sup 20} cm{sup -3} atomic density) Ar plasma. This plasma was produced by irradiating a 2 mm wide clustering Ar gas jet with an ultra-high intensity (10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}, 200 fs) Ti:Sapphire laser operating at 800 nm. Spherically bent quartz crystals in the 200 (for K{alpha}) and 201 (for He-{alpha}) planes were used as near-normal incidence reflective x-ray optics. We see that a large (830 {micro}m long) region of plasma emits K{alpha} primarily along the laser axis, while the He-{alpha} emission is confined to smaller hot spot (230 {micro}m long) region that likely corresponds to the focal volume of the f/8 laser beam. X-ray spectra from a Bragg spectrometer operating in the von Hamos geometry, which images in one dimension, indicate that the centroids of the K{alpha} and He-{alpha} emission regions are separated by approximately 330 {micro}m along the laser axis
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Thomson scattering diagnostic for the measurement of ion species fraction
Simultaneous Thomson scattering measurements of collective electron-plasma and ion-acoustic fluctuations have been utilized to determine ion species fraction from laser produced CH plasmas. The CH{sub 2} foil is heated with 10 laser beams, 500 J per beam, at the Omega Laser facility. Thomson scattering measurements are made 4 mm from the foil surface using a 30 J 2{omega} probe laser with a 1 ns pulse length. Using a series of target shots the plasma evolution is measured from 2.5 ns to 9 ns after the rise of the heater beams. Measuring the electron density and temperature from the electron-plasma fluctuations constrains the fit of the two-ion species theoretical form factor for the ion feature such that the ion temperature, plasma flow velocity and ion species fraction are determined. The ion species fraction is determined to an accuracy of {+-}0.06 in species fraction