1.3-keV X-ray backlighting of microballoons imploded with 0.8-TW, 50-ps Nd-glass-laser pulses has been performed early during the irradiation. Transmission measurements have been interpreted in terms of fast-electron energy deposition. Targets with the thinnest walls are shown to be pre-heated up to more than 200 eV.

Microballoons filled with an equimolar deuterium-tritium mixture and coated with a plastic ablator of variable thickness are imploded by the eight-beam Octal laser (X = 1.06 jum; 0.6 TW). An X-ray r diagnostic with space-time resolution is used to analyse the implosion of the targets designed to the highest /pdr. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations performed by a one-dimensional J Lagrangian code. A DT density of about 2 gem" 3 is obtained; the transition from an exploding-pusher regime to a more ablative one is analysed on the basis of the evolution of the preheat, the hydrodynamic efficiency and the density and temperature performance.

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