SRS gains and LPI thresholds from HYDRA simulations of magnetized and unmagnetized Suprathermal electron driven X-ray source hohlraums at NIF and OMEGA.

Recent experiments conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have focused on the development of high fluence hard X-ray sources. One such platform seeks to use suprathermal electrons generated through laser plasma interactions (LPI) to generate bremsstrahlung x-ray emission. The generation of hot electrons can occur through two processes: Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and Two-plasmon decay (TPD), we focus on the former which is usually dominant at NIF scale. Experiments were conducted at OMEGA and NIF using smaller-than-standard size hohlraums filled with low-density foams. HYDRA simulations were performed to compare the plasma conditions and LPI thresholds. SRS gain calculations were made using the FLIP routine to post-process hydro simulations and compare SRS spectra with experimental results. Additionally, the simulations explore the effects of an external magnetic field on the plasma parameters of the hohlraum, which can alter the hydrodynamics in the targets and affect the SRS spectra. The simulated thermal X-ray emission is compared to experimental data, and the contribution of hot electrons to the X-ray emission is discussed.