A High-resolution X-ray Microscope

92 LLE Review, Volume 74 A soft x-ray microscope (E & 3 keV) with high spatial resolution (~3 μm) has been characterized at LLE and used for initial experiments on the OMEGA laser system to study the hydrodynamic stability of directly driven planar foils. The microscope, which is an optimized Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB)–type design, is used to obtain four x-ray radiographs of laser-driven foils. Time-resolved images are obtained with either custombuilt framing cameras (time resolution ~80 ps) or short-pulse backlighter beams (∆t & 200 ps). In the former case, a spatial resolution of ~7 μm was obtained (limited by the framing camera), while in the latter case a resolution of ~3 μm was obtained. This article details the testing, calibration, and initial use of this microscope in the laboratory and on OMEGA.