High-speed x-ray gating cameras for ICF imaging applications

Abstract

High-speed, high x-ray energy imaging of implosions is a key diagnostic technique in the glass laser implosion program in the USA. With the correct x-ray energy, time-gated images can measure the symmetry and mix of the imploding shell into the stagnated fuel if the spatial resolution of 10 or 5 micrometers matched by a temporal resolution of 100 or 50 psec. Several 100 psec microchannelplate (MCP) x-ray pin hole cameras have bee installed and run on large laser systems with improving reliability. To increase the sensitivity of the imaging system, a ring aperture microscope has been coupled to a gated MCP detector allowing imaging at up to 8 keV.