Pulsed-X-Ray Shadowgraphy of Dense, Cool, Laser-Imploded Plasma

Abstract

Laser implosion of 87-bar neon-filled glass microballoon targets produces a dense, cool plasma whose development in time and space is recorded by pulsed-x-ray shadowgraphy with soft x rays from a separate laser-produced plasma. Compressed densities of 4 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ are estimated from the data by comparison with numerical simulations of the implosion.