Measurement of radiation symmetry in Z-pinch-driven hohlraums

The Z-pinch-driven hohlraum (ZPDH) [J. H. Hammer , Phys. Plasmas 6, 2129 (1999)] is a promising approach to high yield inertial confinement fusion currently being characterized in experiments on the Sandia Z accelerator [M. E. Cuneo , Phys. Plasmas 8, 2257 (2001)]. Simulations show that capsule radiation symmetry, a critical issue in ZPDH design, is governed primarily by hohlraum geometry, dual-pinch power balance, and pinch timing. In initial symmetry studies on Z without the benefit of a laser backlighter, highly-asymmetric pole-hot and equator-hot single Z-pinch hohlraum geometries were diagnosed using solid low density foam burnthrough spheres. These experiments demonstrated effective geometric control and prediction of polar flux symmetry at the level where details of the Z-pinch implosion and other higher order effects are not critical. Radiation flux symmetry achieved in Z double-pinch hohlraum configurations exceeds the measurement sensitivity of this self-backlit foam ball symmetry diagnostic. To diagnose radiation symmetry at the 2%-5% level attainable with present ZPDH designs, high-energy x rays produced by the recently-completed Z-Beamlet laser backlighter are being used for point-projection imaging of thin-wall implosion and symmetry capsules. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.