X-ray Thomson scattering of warm dense matter on the Z-Accelerator

Accurate measurements of warm dense matter (WDM) physical properties, such as temperature, density, and ionization state, are important for understanding and modeling high-energy density physics. X-ray Thomson scattering has recently been used to probe WDM states generated with high-power lasers. The Z-Accelerator has the capability to create WDM states with greater uniformity, larger size, and longer duration than that achievable on laser-driven experiments. Magnetically launched flyers experiments on the Z-Accelerator utilizing the Z-Backlighter Laser to generate x-rays for scattering of shock-compressed samples are in preparation. A new spherically bent focusing spectrometer has been built to measure scattered x-rays with high spatial and spectral resolution, and high sensitivity. Initial calibration measurements and plans for future Z experiments will be discussed. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.