In Situ X-Ray Diffraction from Uniform Radiation Driven Shocks in Crystalline Solids

An experiment to create highly uniform shocks in crystalline solids suitable for studying the thickness of shock fronts by in situ x-ray diffraction is described. A laser is used to create a soft x-ray radiation source. This radiation source heats a thin layer of the silicon crystal; the ablation of this layer produces a uniform near-one-megabar shock. We discuss how x-ray diffraction can be used to measure the shock front thickness from a uniformly shock compressed solid. The x-ray diffraction technique is described through previously measured experimental data and by comparison to simulated diffraction records.