Abstract

This paper presents an x-ray technique for measurement of opaque hollow microspheres used as laser fusion targets. We describe a nondestructive method for holding microspheres that enables microsphere rotation between x-ray exposures. We record film images of the microspheres using contact microradiography. We use computer image analysis for measurement of the microsphere characteristics, which involves mathematically modeling processes that relate the microsphere characteristics to film density and then applying a least squares fit of the model to the image data. We compared this measurement with the optical interferometric measurement for several glass microspheres and found measurement differences <0.3 μm for wall thickness and 0.1 μm for nonconcentricity.

© 1979 Optical Society of America

Microradiographs of laser fusion targets: 2-D modeling and analysis

R. L. Whitman, R. H. Day, R. P. Kruger, and D. M. Stupin
Appl. Opt. 18(8) 1266-1274 (1979)

X-ray microradiographs of laser fusion targets: improved image analysis techniques

R. L. Whitman and R. H. Day
Appl. Opt. 19(10) 1718-1722 (1980)

Interferometric measurement of laser fusion targets

B. W. Weinstein and C. D. Hendricks
Appl. Opt. 17(22) 3641-3646 (1978)

Imaging x-ray spectrometer for laser fusion applications

N. M. Ceglio, A. M. Hawryluk, and R. H. Price
Appl. Opt. 21(21) 3953-3960 (1982)

Wave-front shearing interferometer for cryogenic laser-fusion targets

J. A. Tarvin, R. D. Sigler, and Gar E. Busch
Appl. Opt. 18(17) 2971-2974 (1979)