Progress on neutron pinhole imaging for inertial confinement fusion experiments

Neutron imaging provides a powerful diagnostic for understanding the performance of inertial confinement fusion ignition capsules and the drive mechanism imploding them. To achieve the spatial resolution and fielding capability needed at the National Ignition Facility requires a staged approach that simultaneously pushes the limits of extant capabilities while developing new techniques that will extend to the National Ignition Facility regime. To this end, new pinhole assemblies have been designed and fabricated using very high-precision machining equipment. These assemblies have been fielded successfully at Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester and have provided impetus for new aperture designs and new ideas for detectors, which are now the limiting element in the system resolution