Laser coupling to reduced-scale targets at NIF Early Light

Deposition of maximum laser energy into a small, high-Z enclosure in a short laser pulse creates a hot environment. Such targets were recently included in an experimental campaign using the first four of the 192 beams of the National Ignition Facility [J. A. Paisner, E. M. Campbell, and W. J. Hogan, Fusion Technology 26, 755 (1994)], under construction at the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These targets demonstrate good laser coupling, reaching a radiation temperature of 340 eV. In addition, the Raman backscatter spectrum contains features consistent with Brillouin backscatter of Raman forward scatter [A. B. Langdon and D. E. Hinkel, Physical Review Letters 89, 015003 (2002)]. Also, NIF Early Light diagnostics indicate that 20% of the direct backscatter from these reduced-scale targets is in the polarization orthogonal to that of the incident light

Congener-specific concentrations and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of two technical toxaphene products (Toxaphene (R) and Melipax (R))

In this study we compared the contribution of individual congeners and the ratios of stable carbon isotopes of two technical toxaphene products. The former US-American product Toxaphene(R) was from 1978 and the East-German product Melipax(R) from 1979. Both technical products showed the known complexity in GC/ECD measurements. Contributions of 24 peaks to each of the technical products were determined by gas chromatography in combination high resolution electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC/ECNI-HRMS). The percentages of the compounds studied in the technical mixtures ranged from similar to0.05% to similar tO2.5% but showed some individual differences. 2,2,5,5,8,9,9,10,10-nonachlorobornane (B9-1025 or P-62) was identified as a major congener in both mixtures. 2-Endo, 3-exo, 5-endo,6-exo, 8,8, 10, 10-octachlorobornane (B8-1413 or P26) and 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10,10-nanachlorobornane (B9-1679 or P-50) were found at similar concentration in both technical products. an element analyzer and their delta(13)C values were determined relative to the international standard Vienna PeeDee belemnite (VPDB). The mean delta(13)C values of both products varied by 2.8% (determined at two different locations) which is roughly one order of magnitude more than the precision obtained in repetitive analyses of the individual products. Thus, both investigated products could be unequivocally distinguished by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). IRMS analyses may thus be a suitable tool for tracing back toxaphene residues in environmental and food samples to the one or both of the products. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [References: 31

Optical phase control of coherent pulse stacking via modulated impulse response

To stabilize the combined pulse energy for coherent temporal pulse stacking using interferometer cavities, we have developed a direct cavity phase measurement method based on analysis of the response to modulated probe pulses. An experiment has demonstrated optical phase control within 50 mrad for four cavities, resulting in a combination of 25 pulses with 1.5% root mean square stability over 30 h