High contrast Kr gas jet Kα x-ray source for high energy density physics experiments

A high contrast 12.6 keV Kr K alpha source has been demonstrated on the petawatt-class Titan laser facility using strongly clustering Kr gas jet targets. The contrast ratio (K alpha to continuum) is 65, with a competitive ultrashort pulse laser to x-ray conversion efficiency of 10(-5). Filtered shadowgraphy indicates that the Kr K alpha and K beta x rays are emitted from a roughly 1x2 mm(2) emission volume, making this source suitable for area backlighting and scattering. Spectral calculations indicate a typical bulk electron temperature of 50-70 eV (i.e., mean ionization state 13-16), based on the observed ratio of K alpha to K beta. Kr gas jets provide a debris-free high energy K alpha source for time-resolved diagnosis of dense matter.