A broadband proton backlighting platform to probe shock propagation in low-density systems

H Sio; R Hua; Y Ping; C McGuffey; F Beg; R Heeter; C K Li; R D Petrasso; G W Collins

doi:10.1063/1.4973893

A broadband proton backlighting platform to probe shock propagation in low-density systems

Rev Sci Instrum. 2017 Jan;88(1):013503. doi: 10.1063/1.4973893.

Authors

H Sio¹, R Hua², Y Ping³, C McGuffey², F Beg², R Heeter³, C K Li¹, R D Petrasso¹, G W Collins³

Affiliations

¹ Massachusetts Institute of Technology Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
² Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
³ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.

PMID: 28147638
DOI: 10.1063/1.4973893

Abstract

A proton backlighting platform has been developed for the study of strong shock propagation in low-density systems in planar geometry. Electric fields at the converging shock front in inertial confinement fusion implosions have been previously observed, demonstrating the presence of-and the need to understand-strong electric fields not modeled in standard radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. In this planar configuration, long-pulse ultraviolet lasers are used to drive a strong shock into a gas-cell target, while a short-pulse proton backlighter side-on radiographs the shock propagation. The capabilities of the platform are presented here. Future experiments will vary shock strength and gas fill, to probe shock conditions at different Z and T_e.