Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Measurement of electron temperature of imploded capsules at the National Ignition Facility
1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA. izumi2@llnl.gov
Abstract:
The electron and ion temperatures of the imploded core plasma are two of the most important metrics of inertial confinement fusion experiments. We have developed a technique for inferring electron temperatures from the contrast of x-ray images observed through a group of x-ray filters. Generally, the plasma electron temperature exhibits spatial and temporal variations, so time-averaged and time-resolved measurements are expected to yield somewhat different results. By analyzing the intensity of images observed with both a time-integrated detector (imaging plates) and a time-resolved detector (gated micro-channel plate), we found the electron temperature observed from x-ray images to be systematically higher than the ion temperature inferred from fusion neutron spectroscopy.
Related Concept Videos
Constant Volume Calorimetry
Atomic Spectroscopy: Effects of Temperature
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature from...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear Fusion
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Nuclear Transmutation

