Improved imaging using Mn He-α x rays at OMEGA EP

Area of Science:

• High-energy-density physics
• Plasma diagnostics
• X-ray imaging

Background:

• Advanced X-ray imaging capabilities are crucial for diagnosing high-energy-density plasmas created at laser facilities.
• Existing diagnostics may have limitations in spatial resolution, temporal accuracy, or flexibility for specific X-ray energies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the development and performance of a novel crystal-based X-ray imaging system.
• To demonstrate its application at the OMEGA EP laser facility for imaging specific X-ray emissions.

Main Methods:

• A thin crystal, satisfying Bragg diffraction conditions for the X-ray energy of interest, was used.
• The crystal was shaped into a spherical geometry and supported by a glass backing substrate.
• X-rays were imaged onto a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector.

Main Results:

• The system achieved a pointing accuracy of +/- 100 μm.
• Temporal resolution down to 100 picoseconds (ps) was demonstrated, contingent on backlighter characteristics.
• A spatial resolution of 21.9 µm at the object plane was achieved at a magnification of 15×.

Conclusions:

• The developed crystal-based X-ray imaging system offers significant improvements in spatial and temporal resolution for laser-driven experiments.
• The system successfully imaged Mn He-α 6.15 keV line emission using a Los Alamos National Laboratory supplied spherical quartz crystal.