Advanced Radiation Source for HED Experiments

Gerrit Bruhaug, PhD Qualifying Exam, Advised by Professor Gilbert 'Rip' Collins and Ryan Rygg

https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95408461447

High energy density (HED), inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and laser-plasma interactions (LPI) at large laser research facilities are difficult to diagnose due to the short time scales and extreme conditions present. Typical diagnostics utilize target self-emission,  laser generated x-rays or laser generated protons. Utilizing already available ps, kJ class lasers two new ultrafast diagnostic sources can be generated, namely THz radiation and relativistic electron beams. Preliminary results of both THz radiation generation and relativistic electron beam radiography using the MTW and OMEGA-EP lasers are reported. Tens of millijoule class THz sources were successfully generated and detected on the MTW laser and progress on hundreds of millijoule class THz-sources were made on OMEGA-EP. Relativistic electron radiography of static and laser driven targets on OMEGA-EP with resolutions as low as 90 um have been seen.