In laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, hot electrons can preheat the fuel and prevent fusion-pellet compression to ignition conditions. Measuring the hot-electron population is key to designing an optimized ignition platform. The hot electrons in these high-intensity, laser-driven experiments, created via laser-plasma interactions, can be inferred from the bremsstrahlung generated by hot electrons interacting with the target. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [G. H. Miller, E. I. Moses, and C. R. Wuest, Opt. Eng. 43, 2841 (2004)], the filter-fluorescer x-ray (FFLEX) diagnostic-a multichannel, hard x-ray spectrometer operating in the 20-500 keV range-has been upgraded to provide fully time-resolved, absolute measurements of the bremsstrahlung spectrum with ∼300 ps resolution. Initial time-resolved data exhibited significant background and low signal-to-noise ratio, leading to a redesign of the FFLEX housing and enhanced shielding around the detector. The FFLEX x-ray sensitivity was characterized with an absolutely calibrated, energy-dispersive high-purity germanium detector using the high-energy x-ray source at NSTec Livermore Operations over a range of K-shell fluorescence energies up to 111 keV (U Kβ). The detectors impulse response function was measured in situ on NIF short-pulse (∼90 ps) experiments, and in off-line tests.

In laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, hot electrons can preheat the fuel and prevent compression of the capsule to ignition conditions. Measuring the hot-electron population in these high-intensity, laser-driven experiments is key to understanding the laser-plasma interaction and the resulting target evolution. This can be inferred from the bremsstrahlung generated by the interaction of the hot electrons with the target. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the filter-fluorescer x-ray diagnostic (FFLEX), a multichannel, hard x-ray spectrometer operating in the 20-to 500-keV range, was recently upgraded to provide time-resolved measurements of the bremsstrahlung spectrum. Characterization data is presented for the upgraded setup, as well as recent results from ignition-scale experiments.

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A multi-wavelength, high contrast contact radiography system has been developed to characterize density variations in ultra-low density aerogel foams. These foams are used to generate a ramped pressure drive in materials strength experiments at the National Ignition Facility and require precision characterization in order to reduce errors in measurements. The system was used to characterize density variations in carbon and silicon based aerogels to ∼10.3% accuracy with ∼30 μm spatial resolution. The system description, performance, and measurement results collected using a 17.8 mg/cc carbon based JX-6 (C20H30) aerogel are discussed in this manuscript.

A neutron hardened x-ray streak camera has been used to report x-ray burn duration and time of peak emission from imploding ICF capsules at the National Ignition Facility with  <30 ps. Recent characterization of the instrument using a NIST traceable High Energy X-ray reference source (HEX, National Security Technologies) will enable absolute capsule self-emission x-ray yield measurements (J/sr/keV). This manuscript describes the characterization procedure used and preliminary results of the x-ray sensitivity using three different thicknesses of the CsI photocathode.