Ultrabroad-band x-ray source using a picosecond, laser-driven plasma accelerator

oleh: N. Lemos, P. M. King, D. Rusby, I. Pagano, M. Sinclair, K. A. Marsh, J. L. Shaw, A. L. Milder, A. Pak, B. B. Pollock, M. Aufderheide, F. V. Hartemann, S. Q. Wu, Y. Hwang, B. M. Hegelich, J. Moody, P. Michel, C. Joshi, F. Albert

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: American Physical Society 2024-07-01

Deskripsi

An ultrabroad-band x-ray source, with photon energies from 10 keV to >1 MeV, based on a picosecond laser-driven plasma accelerator, is characterized and used to radiograph high-energy-density-science relevant targets. The measured yield of 10^{12} photons/shot is reaching the necessary photon yields to radiograph, in a single shot, high areal density objects and matter under extreme conditions. By focusing a short laser pulse (120 J, 1 ps) into a gas jet, a <100 mrad electron beam with energies up to 350 MeV and up to 70 nC of charge was produced by a combination of laser self-modulation instability and direct laser acceleration. A foil placed at the exit of the gas jet is used to convert part of the electron beam energy into x rays through inverse bremsstrahlung and/or inverse Compton scattering, generating a bright, broad-band, high-photon-energy beam. This beam is used to radiograph a gold half hohlraum with a high-density sphere inside with relevant characteristics for high-energy-density science and inertial confinement fusion.