Five channel x-ray imaging of laser fusion plasmas

Curved crystals were commonly used as a spectral select:ive imaging optics for diagnosis of laser-produced plasmas. Two-dimensionally space-resolved images of fusion plasmas have been obtained by using x-radiation of single lines or narrow continuum ranges. A five-channel x-ray monochromatic camera (XMC) was applied in recent indirect drive experiments at the GEKKO XII laser facility to observe the compression of a fusion pellet containing chlorine at the innermost pusher region and argon in the DD fuel. Ten toroidally curved crystals were thoroughly prepared and characterized for the imaging in Ar LY beta, Ar He beta, Cl Ly beta, Cl He beta and a narrow continuum region in-between the two argon lines. Sphericity of compression as well as electron temperature distributions have been derived from this data. Further developments of the monochromatic x-ray imaging method will be discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.