In Situ Characterisation of Permanent Magnetic Quadrupoles for focussing proton beams

High intensity laser driven proton beams are at present receiving much attention. The reasons for this are many but high on the list is the potential to produce compact accelerators. However two of the limitations of this technology is that unlike conventional nuclear RF accelerators lasers produce diverging beams with an exponential energy distribution. A number of different approaches have been attempted to monochromise these beams but it has become obvious that magnetic spectrometer technology developed over many years by nuclear physicists to transport and focus proton beams could play an important role for this purpose. This paper deals with the design and characterisation of a magnetic quadrupole system which will attempt to focus and transport laser-accelerated proton beams.Comment: 20 pages, 42 figure

Hot dense capsule implosion cores produced by z-pinch dynamic hohlraum radiation

Hot dense capsule implosions driven by z-pinch x-rays have been measured for the first time. A ~220 eV dynamic hohlraum imploded 1.7-2.1 mm diameter gas-filled CH capsules which absorbed up to ~20 kJ of x-rays. Argon tracer atom spectra were used to measure the Te~ 1keV electron temperature and the ne ~ 1-4 x10^23 cm-3 electron density. Spectra from multiple directions provide core symmetry estimates. Computer simulations agree well with the peak compression values of Te, ne, and symmetry, indicating reasonable understanding of the hohlraum and implosion physics.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Argon K-shell and bound-free emission from OMEGA direct-drive implosion cores

We discuss calculations of synthetic spectra for the interpretation and analysis of K-shell and bound-free emission from argon-doped deuterium-filled OMEGA direct-drive implosion cores. The spectra are computed using a model that considers collisional-radiative atomic kinetics, continuum-lowering, detailed Stark-broadened line shapes, line overlapping, and radiation transport effects. The photon energy range covers the moderately optically thick n = 3 → n = 1 and n = 4 → n = 1 line transitions in He- and H-like Ar, their associated satellite lines in Li- and He-like Ar, and several radiative recombination edges. At the high-densities characteristic of implosion cores, the radiative recombination edges substantially shift to lower energies thus overlapping with several line transitions. We discuss the application of the spectra to spectroscopic analysis of doped implosion core

Direct measurement of the image displacement instability in a linear induction accelerator

The image displacement instability (IDI) has been measured on the 20 MeV Axis I of the dual axis radiographic hydrodynamic test facility and compared to theory. A 0.23 kA electron beam was accelerated across 64 gaps in a low solenoid focusing field, and the position of the beam centroid was measured to 34.3 meters downstream from the cathode. One beam dynamics code was used to model the IDI from first principles, while another code characterized the effects of the resistive wall instability and the beam break-up (BBU) instability. Although the BBU instability was not found to influence the IDI, it appears that the IDI influences the BBU. Because the BBU theory does not fully account for the dependence on beam position for coupling to cavity transverse magnetic modes, the effect of the IDI is missing from the BBU theory. This becomes of particular concern to users of linear induction accelerators operating in or near low magnetic guide fields tunes

Laser accelerated protons captured and transported by a pulse power solenoid

Using a pulse power solenoid, we demonstrate efficient capture of laser accelerated proton beams and the ability to control their large divergence angles and broad energy range. Simulations using measured data for the input parameters give inference into the phase-space and transport efficiencies of the captured proton beams. We conclude with results from a feasibility study of a pulse power compact achromatic gantry concept. Using a scaled target normal sheath acceleration spectrum, we present simulation results of the available spectrum after transport through the gantry

Production of large volume, strongly magnetized laser-produced plasmas by use of pulsed external magnetic fields

International audienceThe production of strongly magnetized laser plasmas, of interest for laboratory astrophysics and inertial confinement fusion studies, is presented. This is achieved by coupling a 16 kV pulse-power system. This is achieved by coupling a 16 kV pulse-power system, which generates a magnetic field by means of a split coil, with the ELFIE laser facility at Ecole Polytechnique. In order to influence the plasma dynamics in a significant manner, the system can generate, repetitively and without debris, high amplitude magnetic fields (40 T) in a manner compatible with a high-energy laser environment. A description of the system and preliminary results demonstrating the possibility to magnetically collimate plasma jets are given