Development of X-ray Thomson scattering for implosion target characterization

X-ray Thomson scattering from spherically imploding, direct-drive capsules is used to study the in-flight density, temperature, and ionization state at electron densities of up to ∼1024 cm−3. We present scattering data from Be cone-in-shell targets with ∼2 × 106 photons in the scattered spectrum. These measurements display the ability for single-shot characterization of the shell conditions in capsule implosions. This is important for diagnosing inertial confinement fusion experiments that determine the likelihood of ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), LLNL. We will discuss the experimental geometry, or platform, and the outlook for further improvement of the signal-to-noise.