Compact X-pinch based point x-ray source for phase contrast imaging of inertial confinement fusion capsules

Results from experiments performed to characterize plastic capsules containing foam layers are presented. A compact X-pinch pulser with a footprint <1m2 having a peak current of 80kA and a rise time of 50ns was used. Various wire materials including tungsten, molybdenum, and aluminum were employed. Results with plastic capsules (1mm diameter, 20μm thick wall with 80μm foam inside the capsule) show phase contrast effects at the edges of the wall due to the foam, which mimics the ice inside the shell. The sharpness of the image reveals a source less than 2μm in size and x-ray diodes show a pulse length of ∼10ns. The small source size allows high-resolution phase contrast imaging of capsules. The x-ray pulse from an X-pinch is sufficiently short to avoid the motional blurring due to cryogenic system vibrations, which is not possible with low flux sources.