Sprecher
Beschreibung
Accurately determining the ionization state of warm dense carbon is critical
for predictive modeling in high-energy-density physics, particularly for inertial
confinement fusion experiments and for advancing the understanding of astro-
physical systems such as white dwarf envelopes [1,2]. However, obtaining direct
measurements under the relevant extreme conditions remains challenging. To
address this, X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) provides a powerful diagnostic
capable of simultaneously characterizing temperature, density, and ionization
state in warm dense matter [3-6]. Here, we report the current status of an-
alyzing XRTS spectra from imploding CH and HDC capsule experiments at
the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Utilizing the capsule implosion platform in
120-degree backscatter geometry, this work enables in situ probing of the carbon
K-shell ionization state and inferring prevailing plasma conditions during the
dynamic implosion. In the probed regime of 0.1 Gbar to 1 Gbar in pressure
and up to 100 eV in temperature, our results show significantly higher carbon
ionization compared to state-of-the-art ionization models and simulations
[1] A. Kritcher et al., Nature 584, 51–54 (2020).
[2] O. A. Hurricane et al., Nature 506, 343–348 (2014).
[3] S. Glenzer & R. Redmer RMP 81,1625 (2009).
[4] T. Döppner et al., Nature 618, 270–275 (2023).
[5] T. Dornheim et al., Phys. Plasmas 30, 032705 (2023).
[6] D. Kraus et al., Phys. Rev. E 94, 011202 (2016).
