# Simulated Refraction-Enhanced X-Ray Radiography of Laser-Driven Shocks

## TL;DR

Refraction-enhanced x-ray radiography (REXR) effectively images multiple shock waves in laser-driven experiments, providing detailed shock location data crucial for inertial confinement fusion research.

## Contribution

This paper demonstrates the use of simulated REXR to accurately locate multiple shock waves and emphasizes the importance of incorporating refraction and attenuation effects for interpreting experimental images.

## Key findings

- REXR can locate shock waves before merging.
- Simulations agree well with experimental data.
- Incorporating refraction improves image interpretation.

## Abstract

Refraction-enhanced x-ray radiography (REXR) is used to infer shock-wave positions of more than one shock wave, launched by a multiple-picket pulse in a planar plastic foil. This includes locating shock waves before the shocks merge, during the early time and the main drive of the laser pulse that is not possible with the velocity interferometer system for any reflector. Simulations presented in this paper of REXR show that it is necessary to incorporate refraction and attenuation of x rays along with the appropriate opacity and refractive-index tables to interpret experimental images. Simulated REXR shows good agreement with an experiment done on the OMEGA laser facility to image a shock wave. REXR can be applied to design multiple-picket pulses with a better understanding of the shock locations. This will be beneficial to obtain the required adiabats for inertial confinement fusion implosions.