Side-on measurement of hydrodynamics of laser-driven plasmas with high space- and time-resolution x-ray imaging technique

We developed and improved high space- and time-resolution x-ray imaging techniques (3-6 mum, 100-200 ps). These techniques were coupled with side-on x-ray backlighting for observing hydrodynamics of directly laser-driven polystyrene plasmas. As a high sensitive x-ray image detector, Imaging Plate was introduced to penumbral imaging technique [S. Fujioka et al, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 73, 2588 (2002)]. Noise in penumbral images was reduced by this improvement, and high quality density profiles of plasmas were obtained. A large-magnification slit camera, whose-slit width and magnification were 4 mum and 82.8, was coupled with an x-ray streak camera (XSC). Due to the advantage of the large-magnification, high spatial resolution of 5.8 mum was found even with an XSC, the photocathode of which usually has low spatial resolution. These techniques are useful in understanding of hydrodynamic instability in inertial confinement fusion. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.