X-Ray imaging and imaging spectroscopy of fusion plasmas and light-source experiments with spherical optics and pixel array detectors

High resolution (λ/Δλ≈10,000) 1D imaging x-ray spectroscopy using a spherically bent crystal and a 2D hybrid pixel array detector (PAD) is used world wide for Doppler measurements of ion-temperature (Ti) and plasma flow-velocity profiles in magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) plasmas. Meter sized plasmas are diagnosed with cm spatial resolution and 10 ms time resolution. This concept can also be used as a diagnostic of small sources, such as inertial confinement fusion (ICF) plasmas and targets on x-ray light source beam lines, with spatial resolution of microns. A new concept of using matched pairs of spherically bent crystals for monochromatic stigmatic 2D x-ray imaging of mm sized sources offers the possibility of spatial resolution of microns and large solid angle, relative to that achieved with pinhole imaging. Other potential applications of the 2D imaging schemes include x-ray lithography and x-ray microscopy for biological and materials science research. Measurements from MFE plasmas, as well as laboratory experiments and ray tracing computations validating the 1D imaging spectroscopy and 2D x-ray imaging techniques will be presented.