Overview of Project Orion

Hopps, N. W.; Bett, Thomas H.; Cann, Nicholas; Danson, C.; Duffield, Stuart; Egan, David A.; Elsmere, Stephen; Girling, Mark; Harvey, Ewan; Hoarty, D. J.; Jinks, P. M. R.; Norman, Michael; Parker, Stefan; Treadwell, Paul; Winter, David

doi:10.1117/12.874252

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…This paper describes a study of the effect of IPD in plasmas heated by short pulse laser induced currents to electron temperatures between 500 and 700eV on a timescale of a picosecond. The experiments were carried out at the newly commissioned Orion laser in the UK [6]. The experiments differ substantially from earlier work [7][8][9][10] in that this data presents a study of the effect of IPD at higher energy density with the sample density varied systematically over an order of magnitude between 1-10g/cc.…”

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confidence: 99%

Observations of the Effect of Ionization-Potential Depression in Hot Dense Plasma

et al. 2013

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The newly commissioned Orion laser system has been used to study dense plasmas created by a combination of short pulse laser heating and compression by laser driven shocks. Thus the plasma density was systematically varied between 1 and 10 g/cc by using aluminum samples buried in plastic foils or diamond sheets. The aluminum was heated to electron temperatures between 500 and 700 eV allowing the plasma conditions to be diagnosed by K-shell emission spectroscopy. The K-shell spectra show the effect of the ionization potential depression as a function of density. The data are compared to simulated spectra which account for the change in the ionization potential by the commonly used Stewart and Pyatt prescription and an alternative due to Ecker and Kröll suggested by recent x-ray free-electron laser experiments. The experimental data are in closer agreement with simulations using the model of Stewart and Pyatt.

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confidence: 99%

Observations of the Effect of Ionization-Potential Depression in Hot Dense Plasma

et al. 2013

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“…Orion consists of ten long pulse beams capable of delivering 500 J of 351 nm light with a pulse duration of 100 ps to 5 ns, and two short pulse beams delivering 500 J of 1064 nm light of durations between 0.5 and 20 ps. 6 Diagnostics are mounted on Ten Inch Manipulators (TIMs) and then driven into the target chamber center to gather data. LLXS was fielded in TIM 46, which sits below target chamber center (TCC…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a ten inch manipulators-based, flexible, broadband two-crystal spectrometer

Steel

Dunn

Emig

et al. 2014

Review of Scientific Instruments

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We have developed and implemented a broadband X-ray spectrometer with a variable energy range for use at the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Orion Laser. The spectrometer covers an energy bandwidth of ∼1-2 keV using two independently mounted, movable Bragg diffraction crystals. Using combinations of cesium hydrogen pthlate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, and pentaerythritol crystals, spectra covering the 1.4-2.5, 1.85-3.15, or 3.55-5.1 keV energy bands have been measured. Image plate is used for detection owing to its high dynamic range. Background signals caused by high energy X-rays and particles commonly produced in high energy laser experiments are reduced by a series of tantalum baffles and filters installed between the source and crystal and also between the crystals and detector.

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“…The IPD of high-lying charge states was, in parallel, explored in experiments [15,16] conducted at the Orion laser facility [17], where Al plasmas were driven to much higher temperatures of 500-700 eV, and shockcompressed up to around 3 times solid density. In contrast to the LCLS experiments K β emission was observed, and was used to diagnose the plasma conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Mechanisms of State Localization in Highly-Ionized Dense Plasmas

Gawne¹,

Campbell²,

Forte³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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We present the first experimental observation of K β emission from highly charged Mg ions at solid density, driven by intense x-rays from a free electron laser. The presence of K β emission indicates the n = 3 atomic shell is relocalized for high charge states, providing an upper constraint on the depression of the ionization potential. We explore the process of state relocalization in dense plasmas from first principles using finite-temperature density functional theory alongside a wavefunction localization metric, and find excellent agreement with experimental results.

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Overview of Project Orion

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Observations of the Effect of Ionization-Potential Depression in Hot Dense Plasma

Observations of the Effect of Ionization-Potential Depression in Hot Dense Plasma

Development of a ten inch manipulators-based, flexible, broadband two-crystal spectrometer

Investigating Mechanisms of State Localization in Highly-Ionized Dense Plasmas

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