Improving sample preheating capabilities for dynamic loading on high-pulsed power drivers.

The CEA operates several High-Pulsed Power (HPP) drivers for dynamic loading experiments. The aim of these experiments is to provide quantitative information about the response of various materials of interest, mainly under quasi-isentropic compression. In order to improve our ability to explore these materials' behavior over a wide range of thermodynamic paths and starting from various non-ambient conditions, we developed a device capable of pre-heating both metallic and nonmetallic samples up to several hundred degrees prior to loading. This device is based on conductive heating and on a configuration that allows homogeneous heating with unprecedented temperature stability on our HPP platforms. Moreover, it is designed to allow efficient sample heating, within extremely severe electromagnetic environments associated with such platforms. The main features of this preheating device, whose design was guided by extensive thermal simulations, are presented, along with various technical solutions that enabled its insertion in a reliable experimental configuration on our HPP drivers. The results obtained from preliminary experiments on a composite material (carbon fibers embedded in epoxy resin) and on a high purity copper sample preheated to 323 K and 573 K, respectively, are presented. The performance and robustness of this heating device are potentially valuable for extending the range of studies in dynamic loading experiments for various materials under ramp compression using HPP drivers.

The use of the green emission in Er(3+)-doped CaF(2) crystals for thermometry application.

We report here the use of the green upconversion emissions originating from the thermally coupled levels (2)H(11/2) and (4)S(3/2) of the Er(3+) ion in CaF(2):Er (0.01 at.%) for thermometry application in the range 303-423 K. The mechanism responsible for excitation of the green emitting levels is a sequential two-photon absorption process. The fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of the green upconversion emissions at wavelengths of about 519 and 551 nm is studied as a function of temperature in the range 303-423 K using a 634 nm tunable dye laser as an excitation source. It is found that the logarithm of the FIR varies linearly with the inverse of temperature. The gap between the two thermally coupled levels (4)S(3/2) and (2)H(11/2) was determined to be about 721 cm(-1). This value is in good agreement with that found by spectroscopic investigations. The calibration curve is established, and the temperature is calculated.