Advances in hybrid-CMOS X-ray framing cameras for High-Energy-Density science research

High-speed X-ray cameras are powerful tools for visualizing complex plasma dynamics and measuring fundamental plasma properties. The microelectronics revolution has enabled the creation of solid-state x-ray framing cameras with speeds approaching a nanosecond, spatial resolution of 10’s of microns, and high quantum efficiency X-ray sensors for direct X-ray detection up to several 10’s of keV. By storing multiple images in each pixel this technology makes it possible to capture a high-resolution 2-dimensional image sequence along a single line-of-sight. A family of hybrid-CMOS digital framing cameras has been developed by a large team of scientists and engineers at SNL, LLNL, and private industry that is now in use at the large-scale ICF facilities. These cameras are being used to study hohlraum dynamics with the GLEH diagnostic on NIF and LMJ, measure the detailed opacity of iron plasmas on Z, measure dynamic material phase transitions with a new time-resolved X-ray diffraction diagnostic on NIF, evaluate laser preheating of MagLIF targets for experiments on Z, and enable operation of traditional X-ray streak cameras on neutron producing experiments using the hDISC diagnostic on Omega and NIF. These cameras are also a key component of pulse-dilation imaging tubes in use on Omega and NIF that have demonstrated temporal resolution as fast as 25 picoseconds. They also show great promise for being robust to operation in the high radiation environments produced by igniting plasmas. A description of the hybrid-CMOS camera technology will be given along with examples of HED plasma research that highlight the unique capabilities of this new scientific instrument.