Properties of laser-produced GaAs plasmas measured from highly resolved X-ray line shapes and ratios.

The properties of hot, dense plasmas generated by the irradiation of GaAs targets by the Titan laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were determined by the analysis of high resolution K shell spectra in the 9 keV to 11 keV range. The laser parameters, such as relatively long pulse duration and large focal spot, were chosen to produce a steady-state plasma with minimal edge gradients, and the time-integrated spectra were compared to non-LTE steady state spectrum simulations using the FLYCHK and NOMAD codes. The bulk plasma streaming velocity was measured from the energy shifts of the Ga He-like transitions and Li-like dielectronic satellites. The electron density and the electron energy distribution, both the thermal and the hot non-thermal components, were determined from the spectral line ratios. After accounting for the spectral line broadening contributions, the plasma turbulent motion was measured from the residual line widths. The ionization balance was determined from the ratios of the He-like through F-like spectral features. The detailed comparison of the experimental Ga spectrum and the spectrum simulated by the FLYCHK code indicates two significant discrepancies, the transition energy of a Li-like dielectronic satellite (designated t) and the calculated intensity of a He-like line (x), that should lead to improvements in the kinetics codes used to simulate the X-ray spectra from highly-charged ions.

High resolution spectrometer for extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements in the 6 keV to 15 keV energy range.

A Cauchois transmission-crystal spectrometer has been developed with high crystal resolving power in the 6 keV-15 keV energy range and sufficient sensitivity to record single-shot spectra from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Titan laser and other comparable or more energetic lasers. The spectrometer capabilities were tested by recording the W L transitions from a laboratory source and the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum through a Cu foil.

Measurement of high-energy (10-60 keV) x-ray spectral line widths with eV accuracy.

A high resolution crystal spectrometer utilizing a crystal in transmission geometry has been developed and experimentally optimized to measure the widths of emission lines in the 10-60 keV energy range with eV accuracy. The spectrometer achieves high spectral resolution by utilizing crystal planes with small lattice spacings (down to 2d = 0.099 nm), a large crystal bending radius and Rowland circle diameter (965 mm), and an image plate detector with high spatial resolution (60 µm in the case of the Fuji TR image plate). High resolution W L-shell and K-shell laboratory test spectra in the 10-60 keV range and Ho K-shell spectra near 47 keV recorded at the LLNL Titan laser facility are presented. The Ho K-shell spectra are the highest resolution hard x-ray spectra recorded from a solid target irradiated by a high-intensity laser.

Measuring electron-positron annihilation radiation from laser plasma interactions.

We investigated various diagnostic techniques to measure the 511 keV annihilation radiations. These include step-wedge filters, transmission crystal spectroscopy, single-hit CCD detectors, and streaked scintillating detection. While none of the diagnostics recorded conclusive results, the step-wedge filter that is sensitive to the energy range between 100 keV and 700 keV shows a signal around 500 keV that is clearly departing from a pure Bremsstrahlung spectrum and that we ascribe to annihilation radiation.

Hard x-ray transmission crystal spectrometer at the OMEGA-EP laser facility.

The transmission crystal spectrometer (TCS) is approved for taking data at the OMEGA-EP laser facility since 2009 and will be available for the OMEGA target chamber in 2010. TCS utilizes a Cauchois type cylindrically bent transmission crystal geometry with a source to crystal distance of 600 mm. Spectral images are recorded by image plates in four positions, one IP on the Rowland circle and three others at 200, 400, and 600 mm beyond the Rowland circle. An earlier version of TCS was used at LULI on experiments that determined the x-ray source size from spectral line broadening on one IP positioned behind the Rowland circle. TCS has recorded numerous backlighter spectra at EP for point projection radiography and for source size measurements. Hard x-ray source size can be determined from the source broadening of both K shell emission lines and from K absorption edges in the bremsstrahlung continuum, the latter being a new way to measure the spatial extent of the hard x-ray bremsstrahlung continuum.

Asymmetrically cut crystal pair as x-ray magnifier for imaging at high intensity laser facilities.

The potential of an x-ray magnifier prepared from a pair of asymmetrically cut crystals is studied to explore high energy x-ray imaging capabilities at high intensity laser facilities. OMEGA-EP and NIF when irradiating mid and high Z targets can be a source of high-energy x-rays whose production mechanisms and use as backlighters are a subject of active research. This paper studies the properties and potential of existing asymmetric cut crystal pairs from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) built in a new enclosure for imaging x-ray sources. The technique of the x-ray magnifier has been described previously. This new approach is aimed to find a design that could be used at laser facilities by magnifying the x-ray source into a screen far away from the target chamber center, with fixed magnification defined by the crystals' lattice spacing and the asymmetry angles. The magnified image is monochromatic and the imaging wavelength is set by crystal asymmetry and incidence angles. First laboratory results are presented and discussed.

Scaling studies with the dual crystal spectrometer at the OMEGA-EP laser facility.

The dual crystal spectrometer (DCS) is an approved diagnostic at the OMEGA and the OMEGA-EP laser facilities for the measurement of high energy x-rays in the 11-90 keV energy range, e.g., for verification of the x-ray spectrum of backlighter targets of point projection radiography experiments. DCS has two cylindrically bent transmission crystal channels with image plate detectors at distances behind the crystals close to the size of the respective Rowland circle diameters taking advantage of the focusing effect of the cylindrically bent geometry. DCS, with a source to crystal distance of 1.2 m, provides the required energy dispersion for simultaneous detection of x-rays in a low energy channel (11-45 keV) and a high-energy channel (19-90 keV). A scaling study is described for varied pulse length with unchanged laser conditions (energy, focusing). The study shows that the Kα line intensity is not strongly dependent on the length of the laser pulse.

Experimental benchmark for an improved simulation of absolute soft-x-ray emission from polystyrene targets irradiated with the Nike laser.

Absolutely calibrated, time-resolved spectral intensity measurements of soft-x-ray emission (hnu approximately 0.1-1.0 keV) from laser-irradiated polystyrene targets are compared to radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that include our new postprocessor, Virtual Spectro. This new capability allows a unified, detailed treatment of atomic physics and radiative transfer in nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium conditions for simple spectra from low-Z materials as well as complex spectra from high-Z materials. The excellent agreement (within a factor of approximately 1.5) demonstrates the powerful predictive capability of the codes for the complex conditions in the ablating plasma. A comparison to data with high spectral resolution (E/deltaE approximately 1000) emphasizes the importance of including radiation coupling in the quantitative simulation of emission spectra.

Efficient multi-keV underdense laser-produced plasma radiators.

Novel, efficient x-ray sources have been created by supersonically heating a large volume of Xe gas. A laser-induced bleaching wave quickly ionizes the high- Z gas, and the resulting plasma emits x rays. This method significantly improves the production of hard x rays because less energy is lost to kinetic energy and sub-keV x rays. The conversion efficiency of laser energy into L-shell radiation between 4-7 keV is measured at approximately 10%, an order of magnitude higher than efficiencies measured from solid disk targets. This higher flux enables material testing and backlighting in new regimes and scales well to future high-powered lasers.

Perceived features reported as nodules: interpretation of spiral chest CT scans.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate nontarget locations identified in a study of lung nodule detection with spiral computed tomographic (CT) scans that compared cine and film presentations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a previous study of lung nodule detection, eight observers were asked to identify 10 nodule locations in each of five CT scans containing eight simulated nodules. In the current study, each nontarget location that was reported more than once in the previous study was inspected with a stack-mode display in both cine and static modes. The nontarget locations were evaluated for probable identity, shape, and distance from the peripheral lung surface. RESULTS: Fifty-two nontarget locations included clinically undetected pulmonary nodules (n = 12), lymph nodes (n = 2), unclassifiable structures (n = 2), pleural scars (n = 8), and vascular structures (n = 28). Five nontarget locations contained vessels with complex courses apparent only with cine mode. As a group, nontarget locations were significantly closer to the periphery than would be expected by chance (for all locations, P < .0001; for locations not touching the pleural surface, P = .013). CONCLUSION: The lower reporting threshold caused by the observer instructions to find 10 targets resulted in increased reporting of structure with a nodular appearance. The locations of these reports in the lung periphery can be attributed to the relationship between frequent disease and a nearly featureless background in the lung periphery.

Radiometric calibration of the vacuum-ultraviolet spectrograph SUMER on the SOHO spacecraft with the B detector.

The Solar Ultraviolet Measurement of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) vacuum-ultraviolet spectrograph was calibrated in the laboratory before the integration of the instrument on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft in 1995. During the scientific operation of the SOHO it has been possible to track the radiometric calibration of the SUMER spectrograph since March 1996 by a strategy that employs various methods to update the calibration status and improve the coverage of the spectral calibration curve. The results for the A Detector were published previously [Appl. Opt. 36, 6416 (1997)]. During three years of operation in space, the B detector was used for two and one-half years. We describe the characteristics of the B detector and present results of the tracking and refinement of the spectral calibration curves with it. Observations of the spectra of the stars alpha and rho Leonis permit an extrapolation of the calibration curves in the range from 125 to 149.0 nm. Using a solar coronal spectrum observed above the solar disk, we can extrapolate the calibration curves by measuring emission line pairs with well-known intensity ratios. The sensitivity ratio of the two photocathode areas can be obtained by registration of many emission lines in the entire spectral range on both KBr-coated and bare parts of the detector's active surface. The results are found to be consistent with the published calibration performed in the laboratory in the wavelength range from 53 to 124 nm. We can extrapolate the calibration outside this range to 147 nm with a relative uncertainty of ?30% (1varsigma) for wavelengths longer than 125 nm and to 46.5 nm with 50% uncertainty for the short-wavelength range below 53 nm.

Influence of CT image size and format on accuracy of lung nodule detection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of reducing image size on observers' ability to detect lung nodules on computed tomographic (CT) scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stimuli were 80 single sections from 13 normal chest CT studies. On half of the images, 3-5-mm-diameter nodules were superimposed electronically at random locations. Four observers viewed images in six formats and sizes that ranged from 6 on 1 (133 x 133 mm) to 80 on 1 (40 x 40 mm). The images were viewed at a fixed distance of 55 cm and at an unrestricted, variable distance. RESULTS: With the fixed viewing distance, nodule detection decreased with smaller image sizes. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az) decreased from 0.857 for the 6-on-1 format to 0.671 for the 80-on-1 format (P = .0001). With a variable viewing distance, Az decreased from 0.884 to 0.834 across all formats (difference not statistically significant). However, there was a significant drop in performance with the smallest images (P < .05). Overall, Az for the fixed and variable viewing distances was significantly different (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Reducing image size leads to decreased lung nodule detection on CT scans viewed at a fixed distance; however, the observer can compensate for the smaller image by adjusting the viewing distance.

High-resolution monochromatic x-ray imaging system based on spherically bent crystals.

We have developed an improved x-ray imaging system based on spherically curved crystals. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser. A spherically curved quartz crystal (d = .?, R = mm) has been 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 mum in selected places and 2-3 mum over a larger area. Time-resolved backlit monochromatic images of polystyrene planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with a spatial resolution of 2.5 mum in selected places and 5 mum over the focal spot of the Nike laser.

Influence of visual distractors on detectability of liver nodules on contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography scans.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated the ability of observers to identify simulated nodules placed electronically on normal contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans of the liver to assess the effect of nodule size and polarity on detection and localization. METHODS: Seven readers evaluated two sets of CT scans that contained 80 stimuli each. The simulated nodules were either darker or brighter than the contrast-enhanced liver and were 5.6-8.0 mm in diameter. Readers were asked to find the most suspicious-looking nodule on each section and rate the likelihood that the chosen location actually contained a nodule. RESULTS: The fraction of nodules found by each observer was substantially greater for dark nodules than for bright ones (0.679 +/- 0.03 vs 0.345 +/- 0.045, respectively [mean +/- standard error]). This difference was consistent for all nodule sizes. Additional analyses (including receiver operating characteristic curves of conditional responses) suggested that the presence of bright blood vessels distracted the readers and decreased their ability to find bright nodules. CONCLUSION: Normal vascular structures on contrast-enhanced CT scans of the liver impair an observer's ability to detect bright liver nodules.

Radiometric calibration of SUMER: refinement of the laboratory results under operational conditions on SOHO.

The radiometric calibration of the solar telescope and spectrometer SUMER was carried out in the laboratory before delivery of the instrument for integration into the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft. Although this effort led to a reasonable coverage of the wavelength range from 53.70 to 146.96 nm, uncalibrated portions of the sensitivity curves remained before SUMER became operational in early 1996. Thereafter it was possible to perform extrapolations and interpolations of the calibration curves of detector A to shorter, longer, and intermediate wavelengths by using emission line pairs with known intensity ratios. The spectra of the stars alpha and rho Leonis were also observed on the KBr (potassium bromide) photocathode and the bare microchannel plate (MCP) in the range from 120 to 158 nm. In addition, the sensitivity ratios of the KBr photocathode to the bare MCP were determined for many solar lines as well as the H i Lyman and the thermal continua. The results have been found to be consistent with published laboratory data. The uncertainty is +/-15% (1 varsigma) in the wavelength range from 54 to 125 nm.

Spiral CT of the chest: comparison of cine and film-based viewing.

PURPOSE: To determine radiologists' ability to find lung nodules on spiral computed tomographic (CT) scans of the chest with both rapid sequential (cine) and conventional film-based viewing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight radiologists searched for lung nodules on spiral CT images (10-mm collimation, 10 mm/sec table speed) presented in two formats. Cine viewing was performed at a computer work-station; sections were viewed in 2-mm increments at frame rates up to 10 frames per second. Film-based viewing of images from a laser printer was performed with a lightbox; sections were viewed at 4-mm increments. Eight 3-5-mm-diameter simulated nodules were superimposed on each of five normal CT scans. RESULTS: Radiologists found a higher fraction of nodules with the cine presentation than with film (mean, 0.69 +/- 0.02 [standard error] versus 0.58 +/- 0.03, respectively [P = .006]). Diameter thresholds for nodule detection (50% correctly localized) were 3.3 and 3.5 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cine viewing of spiral CT images of the chest improved radiologists' ability to detect nodules.