Recent Advances in the Development of X-Ray Cameras Inserted Inside a Pressurized Box for LMJ Plasma Diagnostics

For the first plasma diagnostics to be deployed at the Laser Megajoule (LMJ), the Commissariat à l´Energie Atomique (CEA) is developing ultrafast x-ray imaging cameras to analyze spatial and temporal evolution of laser-plasma interaction parameters. These cameras, which operate in the target chamber vacuum, are composed of a one-dimensional (1-D) streak or a two-dimensional (2-D) gated detector, power supply units, control electronic modules, and a charge-coupled device (CCD) readout system. In order to optimize their definition and to ensure easy maintenance, these cameras are packaged inside a hermetically sealed chamber comprised of a pressurized box (air box), which also enable the electronics to operate at atmospheric pressure and provide protection of the camera against the harsh operating environment induced by fluxes of neutrons, x-rays and gamma rays, and electromagnetic radiations. This paper introduces the work led by CEA concerning the development of the air box which integrates the x-ray streak and framing cameras for the first LMJ plasma diagnostics experiments, with regard to the integration and operational constraints of the facility.