Evaluation of the relative importance of preheat from hohlraum x rays and a radiative shock on a low-density foam

Abstract

Indirectly driven shock-tube experiments were performed on the Omega Laser Facility to evaluate the relative importance of hohlraum x ray and radiative shock preheat sources on a low-density foam. X rays emitted from the hohlraum and a subsequent shock wave are channeled into a low-density foam sample, which contains a plastic preheat-witness disk placed downstream of the foam. Simultaneous radiographic measurements of the shock speed in the foam and the expansion rate of the witness disk due to preheat allow for the observation of effects from the hohlraum's low-energy and high-energy x-ray spectrum. We showed, from simulations, that low-energy x rays from the hohlraum are preferentially absorbed near the ablator surface (where the hohlraum and the shock tube meet), while higher-energy x rays largely pass through the ablator and foam and are volumetrically absorbed by the witness disk. Reproducing the experimentally measured shock speed and expansion of the witness disk simultaneously, we extracted the temperature evolution of preheated foam from the simulation and evaluated the relative importance of preheat sources on a low-density foam from hohlraum x-ray radiation and radiative shock. We found that radiation from the shock front was more effective at preheating the low-density foam than the high-energy x rays from the hohlraum. This shock-tube preheat experiment is important for understanding the results of the MARBLE experiments at the National Ignition Facility because initial conditions of foam-filled MARBLE capsules are sensitive to preheat.