Spatially Resolved<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>α</mml:mi></mml:math>Emission from Laser Fusion Targets

Abstract

The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle emission from laser-compressed, D-T-filled microshells has been imaged using a zone-plate-coded imaging technique. Nominal image resolution was 10 \ensuremath{\mu}m. Approximately 97% of the recorded $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emission was found to originate within a thermonuclear burn region of diameter roughly $\frac{1}{3}$ that of the original target. The full width at half-maximum of the burn region had a diameter roughly $\frac{1}{6}$ that of the target.