Characterizing plasma conditions in radiatively heated solid-density samples with x-ray Thomson scattering

Abstract

We have developed an experimental platform to generate radiatively heated solid density samples for warm dense matter studies at the OMEGA laser facility. Cylindrical samples of boron and beryllium are isochorically heated by K- and L-shell emission from x-ray converter foils wrapped around the cylinders' radii. X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) measures the temperature and the ionization state of the samples as function of time. Temperatures approach 10 eV, and the ionization states are found to be Z[subscript B]=3 and Z[subscript Be]=2. Radiation hydrodynamics simulations were performed to confirm a homogeneous plasma state exists in the center of the sample for the duration of the experiment. Results from the study can be extended to improve understanding of radiative heating processes in the warm dense matter regime.