Fabrication of Ta2O5Aerogel Targets for Radiation Transport Experiments Using Thin Film Fabrication and Laser Processing
| Autor: | S. A. Eddinger, J. F. Hund, C. A. Frederick, A. C. Forsman |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Fabrication Materials science business.industry Mechanical Engineering Tantalum chemistry.chemical_element Aerogel Laser Casting law.invention Optics Nuclear Energy and Engineering chemistry law General Materials Science Thin film business National Ignition Facility Civil and Structural Engineering Laboratory for Laser Energetics |
| Zdroj: | Fusion Science and Technology. 55:499-504 |
| ISSN: | 1943-7641 1536-1055 |
| DOI: | 10.13182/fst55-4-499 |
| Popis: | Experiments on the Omega laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics require tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) aerogel thin films with a thickness ranging from 70 to 150 μm and densities of 250 and 500 mg/cm 3 . Experiments have been done with the aerogel in a disk geometry with diameters ranging from ∼2 to 3 mm with annular slots machined into it and without the slots. These experiments place demanding specifications on the targets in terms of thickness, dimensionality, and mass density variation. Future radiation experiments at the National Ignition Facility will require larger targets ∼7 mm in diameter and 200 μm thick with more complex features. In the past these targets have been conventionally machined from a starting billet of aerogel ∼5 mm in diameter and height. Through a series of steps the aerogel was eventually machined down to the desired thickness. This was a long and arduous labor-intensive process that had high attrition rates and an overall yield of ∼50%. We have improved this process by developing a new fabrication technique involving casting the foam to the desired thickness and then laser processing to create the desired features. This technique yields targets that meet the demanding specifications used in recent experiments while increasing throughput, yield, and available feature complexity in targets. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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