A spherical crystal diffraction imager for Sandia's Z Pulsed Power Facility

Area of Science:

• High energy density physics
• Materials science under extreme conditions
• Plasma physics

Background:

• Sandia's Z Pulsed Power Facility enables dynamic compression of matter to study extreme states.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) is crucial for observing lattice compression, strain, and phase transitions.
• Detecting XRD signals near the Z-Dynamic Material Property (DMP) load is challenging due to destructive experiments and low signal-to-background ratios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel diagnostic for obtaining XRD data from materials under extreme compression.
• To overcome the limitations of existing diagnostics in high energy density experiments.
• To enable detailed analysis of material properties at extreme states.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Spherical Crystal Diffraction Imager (SCDI) diagnostic.
• Utilizing the Z-Beamlet laser to generate 6.2-keV Mn-Heα X-rays for probing.
• Employing a spherically bent crystal (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite) to collect and focus diffracted X-rays.
• Recording diffracted X-ray patterns using an image plate within a tungsten housing.

Main Results:

• The SCDI diagnostic successfully relays and images diffracted X-ray patterns away from the debris field.
• Enables detection of XRD signals in challenging Z-DMP experimental environments.
• Provides a method for quantitative analysis of shock-compressed materials.

Conclusions:

• The SCDI diagnostic is a significant advancement for in-situ XRD measurements in high energy density physics.
• This technology enhances the capability to investigate fundamental material properties under extreme conditions.
• Facilitates a deeper understanding of matter under dynamic compression and phase transitions.