PULSED-X-RAY SHADOWGRAPHY OF DENSE, COOL, LASER-IMPLODED PLASMA

Laser implosion of 87-bar neon-filled glass microballoon targets produces a dense, cool plasma whose development in time and space is recorded by pulsed-x-ray shadowgraphy with soft x rays from a separate laser-produced plasma. Compressed densities of 4 g cm/sup -3/ are estimated from the data by comparison with numerical simulations of the implosion.