The use of spherically bent crystals for the Nike laser plasmas spectral diagnostics and monochromatic imaging.

A new X-ray imaging system based on spherically curved crystals has been developed. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser. Applications of this instrument include spectroscopy with one-dimension of spatial resolution and two-dimensional monochromatic self-imaging and backlighting. The imaging system with various crystals of mica and quartz is used for plasma diagnostics of the main target and for characterization of potential backlighters. A spherically curved quartz crystal (2d=6.687 Angstrom, R=200 mm) is used to produce monochromatic backlit images with the He-like Si resonance line (1865 eV) as the source of radiation. The spatial resolution of the X-ray optical system is 1.7 mu m in selected places and 2-3 mu m over large area. Time resolved backlit monochromatic images of CH planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with 6-7 mu m spatial resolution.