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Updated: May 17, 2026

Applying X-ray Imaging Crystal Spectroscopy for Use as a High Temperature Plasma Diagnostic
Published on: August 25, 2016
Application of spatially resolved high resolution crystal spectrometry to inertial confinement fusion plasmas
K W Hill1, M Bitter, L Delgado-Aparacio
1Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, USA. khill@pppl.gov
Abstract:
High resolution (λ∕Δλ ∼ 10 000) 1D imaging x-ray spectroscopy using a spherically bent crystal and a 2D hybrid pixel array detector is used world wide for Doppler measurements of ion-temperature and plasma flow-velocity profiles in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. Meter sized plasmas are diagnosed with cm spatial resolution and 10 ms time resolution. This concept can also be used as a diagnostic of small sources, such as inertial confinement fusion plasmas and targets on x-ray light source beam lines, with spatial resolution of micrometers, as demonstrated by laboratory experiments using a 250-μm (55)Fe source, and by ray-tracing calculations. Throughput calculations agree with measurements, and predict detector counts in the range 10(-8)-10(-6) times source x-rays, depending on crystal reflectivity and spectrometer geometry. Results of the lab demonstrations, application of the technique to the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and predictions of performance on NIF will be presented.
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