Refraction-enhanced x-ray radiography for inertial confinement fusion and laser-produced plasma applications

We explore various laser-produced plasma and inertial confinement fusion applications of phase-contrast x-ray radiography, and we show how the main features of these enhancements can be considered from a geometrical optics perspective as refraction enhancements. This perspective simplifies the analysis and often permits simple analytical formulas to be derived that predict the enhancements. We explore a raytrace approach to various material interface applications, and we explore a more general example of refractive bending of x rays by an implosion plasma. We find that refraction-enhanced x-ray radiography of implosions may provide a means to quantify density differences across shock fronts as well as density variations caused by local heating due to high-Z dopants. We also point out that refractive bending by implosions plasmas can blur fine radiograph features and can also provide misleading contrast information on area-backlit pinhole imaging experiments unless its effects are taken into consideration.