Measuring x-ray burn history with the Streaked Polar Instrumentation for Diagnosing Energetic Radiation (SPIDER) at the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

Abstract

We present a new diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [1,2]. The Streaked Polar Instrumentation for Diagnosing Energetic Radiation (SPIDER) is an x-ray streak camera for use on almost-igniting targets, up to ~10¹⁷ neutrons per shot. It measures the x-ray burn history for ignition campaigns with the following requirements: X-Ray Energy 8-30keV, Temporal Resolution 10ps, Absolute Timing Resolution 30ps, Neutron Yield: 10¹⁴ to 10¹⁷. The features of the design are a heavily shielded instrument enclosure outside the target chamber, remote location of the neutron and EMP sensitive components, a precise laser pulse comb fiducial timing system and fast streaking electronics. SPIDER has been characterized for sweep linearity, dynamic range, temporal and spatial resolution. Preliminary DT implosion data shows the functionality of the instrument and provides an illustration of the method of burn history extraction.