Magnetic field impact on the temperature distribution in MagLIF laser heating

Laser-only experiments have been performed at Z with beryllium liners filled with argon-doped deuterium to investigate the laser pre-heat stage of Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF). Time integrated, axially-resolved spectra of the Ar K-shell emission were recorded. The spectra are sensitive to electron temperature $T_{e}$ and contain line emission from the He$\alpha$ and intercombination line in He-like Ar, as well as associated Li-like satellites. Via the individual analysis of the spatially resolved spectra, axially resolved temperature distributions $T_{e}(z)$ were extracted for multiple experiments. Changes to the laser beam profile and entrance window thickness were reflected in the magnitude and shape of the extracted profiles. The results from two identical experiments, with and without an external magnetic field, show that the inclusion of the magnetic field increased both $T_{e}$ and the axial extent of the laser heated region. Radiation hydrodynamic simulations of these experiments were performed and post-processed. Analysis of the modeled spectra revealed that the simulations under-predicted $T_{e}$ and the differences were larger for the magnetized case\footnote{K. R. Carpenter \textif{et al.}, Phys. Plasmas, Submitted for publication}.