Overview of Progress on the MoonCat Experiment

The platform development goal of the MoonCat Experiment on NIF is to bring the successful COAX platform to NIF from OMEGA [1,2]. COAX use of simultaneous radiography and spectroscopy provides a tighter constraint on radiation flow than is possible with either alone [3]. With greater energy and larger targets on NIF, MoonCat will be well-suited to study the interactions between x-rays and clumpy shells of previously ejected shells in supernova remnants. This work provides greater platform development details on this project in support of a partner talk by E. Feinberg. To date spectroscopy and radiography have both been separately demonstrated. The next step is to develop a target enabling both to occur within the same shot. Demonstration of successful spectroscopy and radiography from supersonic, transonic, and subsonic radiation flows is our prerequisite before leaving platform development for supernova science on MoonCat.

1. H. Johns, T. Byvank, H. Robey, et al RSI 94, 023502 (2023)
   
   H. Johns, et al HEDP, 39, 2021 100939
   
   C.L. Fryer et al HEDP 35 2020