An online auxiliary aiming device for X-ray streak camera

Abstract

The present invention provides an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, comprising: a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a lens connector, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a vacuum window flange, a reflector, and a scintillator assembly. The optical coupling lens is connected to the readout camera and the lens connector, respectively; the lens connector is mounted on the tilt angle adjustment platform; the tilt angle adjustment platform is mounted on the vacuum window flange, and the readout camera's field of view is adjusted by adjusting the angle; the vacuum window flange is used to isolate the atmosphere from the vacuum environment; the reflector is mounted in the vacuum environment within the vacuum window flange; and the scintillator assembly is positioned at a predetermined cathode slit of the streak camera. This invention provides a reference for adjustment, improves aiming accuracy, shortens aiming time, and enhances experimental efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of streak cameras, and in particular to an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera. Background Art

[0002] An X-ray streak camera is a scientific optoelectronic measurement instrument with high temporal and spatial resolution. It is used for ultrafast X-ray radiation detection and imaging, obtaining temporal, spatial, and other intensity information of the measurement target. It can also be used in conjunction with other equipment, such as spectrometers and pinhole aperture systems, to obtain information such as electron temperature, density, spectral temporal evolution, and plasma velocity, providing effective data for the research and analysis of strong-field physical processes. It is a core diagnostic instrument in experimental research such as laser fusion, high-energy-density physics, Z-pinch, and laboratory astrophysics.

[0003] X-ray streak cameras are mostly open systems, typically directly connected to the front-end system or target sphere via a vacuum-sealed flange. X-rays generated by target shooting are transmitted through optical elements such as a pinhole aperture placed within the cone, then strike the streak camera cathode slit, where they are detected and recorded. During laser fusion physics experiments, if hard X-rays (through-light) generated by target shooting do not pass through the optical elements and strike the X-ray streak camera cathode perpendicularly, or if some X-rays not absorbed by the cathode pass through the streak tube anode aperture and strike the back-end phosphor screen, forming a fluorescence image (through-light image), which is superimposed on the scanned fringe image and creates background noise. In the presence of strong through-light, the effective signal is easily overwhelmed, resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio. To avoid this, a tilting flange is typically installed at the front end of the X-ray streak camera. The camera is tilted at a certain angle relative to the cavity axis, allowing the X-rays to enter the streak camera at a slight angle, deflecting the through-light away from the streak tube anode aperture and preventing it from forming an image on the phosphor screen. In this case, the axis formed by the cone, the diagnostic tube cavity, and the centerline of the streak camera tube is a broken line. During the experiment, the target, the front pinhole diaphragm, and the streak camera cathode slit need to be adjusted to the same straight line (aiming). The following parameters can reflect the difficulty of aiming: the target diameter is about 100μm, the cone diaphragm is 0.2m-0.5m away from the target, and the diaphragm aperture is 10μm-30μm; the streak camera is about 2.5m-4.0m away from the target ball, and the streak camera slit width is about 100μm; the device is in a vacuum when working, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0004] The difficulty in aligning the target, the front pinhole aperture, and the streak camera cathode slit in a straight line lies in the following: (1) The target and cathode slit are small, about 100 μm, while the distance between them is very long, about 2.5 m to 4.0 m, with a very small aperture of 10 μm-30 μm in the middle; (2) To avoid direct light penetration, the axis of the cavity pipe is usually designed as a broken line; (3) Optical aiming is usually completed in the atmosphere, and the target chamber and cavity pipe need to be evacuated to a vacuum state during operation. During the evacuation process, the target chamber and cavity will produce irregular deformation and displacement due to changes in internal and external air pressure, causing the target, front pinhole aperture, and streak camera cathode slit, which were originally in a straight line in the atmosphere, to be misaligned in the vacuum. Experiments have shown that this deviation is on the order of millimeters at the cathode position, and can even reach more than 10 mm. The specific deviation is complexly related to the target chamber structure and the cavity on which the streak camera is mounted. Misalignment and deviation in the vacuum state must be corrected to meet the needs of target acquisition; (4) The position of the target (or the geometric position of the X-ray luminous point) will vary by 10μm due to the changes in the target of each batch of target experiments.

[0005] During physics experiments, considerable effort, time, and effort are required to adjust the position of the front-end aperture and the streak camera slit so that X-rays emitted by the target can pass through the aperture pinhole and be detected by the streak camera. This is a significant cost and time consuming task. Even wasting many shots may not result in achieving optimal aiming, hindering the acquisition of experimental data. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a vacuum online aiming and monitoring system to provide a reference for adjustment, improve aiming accuracy, shorten aiming time, and ultimately enhance experimental efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, which can improve aiming accuracy, shorten aiming time, and enhance experimental efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0008] An online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, comprising: a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a lens connector, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a vacuum window flange, a reflector and a scintillator assembly;

[0009] The optical coupling lens is connected to the readout camera and the lens connector respectively; the lens connector is arranged on the tilt angle adjustment platform; the tilt angle adjustment platform is arranged on the vacuum window flange; the tilt angle adjustment platform and the lens connector are also arranged on a preset vacuum window flange, and the vacuum window flange is used to isolate the atmosphere from the vacuum environment, and adjust the field of view of the readout camera by adjusting the angle of the tilt angle adjustment platform; the reflector is arranged in the vacuum environment in the vacuum window flange; the scintillator assembly is arranged at the cathode slit of the preset streak camera.

[0010] According to the specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0011] The present invention provides an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, comprising: a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a lens connector, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a vacuum window flange, a reflector, and a scintillator assembly. The optical coupling lens is respectively connected to the readout camera and the lens connector; the lens connector is disposed on the tilt angle adjustment platform; the tilt angle adjustment platform is disposed on the vacuum window flange; the tilt angle adjustment platform and the lens connector are further disposed on a preset vacuum window flange, the vacuum window flange being used to isolate the atmosphere from the vacuum environment and adjust the readout camera's field of view by adjusting the angle of the tilt angle adjustment platform; the reflector is disposed in the vacuum environment within the vacuum window flange; and the scintillator assembly is disposed at a preset cathode slit of the streak camera. The present invention can provide a reference for adjustment, improve aiming accuracy, shorten aiming time, and enhance experimental efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort.

[0013] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the optical path of the target sphere, aperture, and streak camera slit system provided by the existing technology;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 A simplified diagram of the device structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 An image of the cathode surface of an X-ray streak camera observed by the monitoring system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 The image is collected by the endoscope system before correction aiming provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 This is an image captured by the endoscope system after correction and aiming provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, which can provide a reference for adjustment, improve aiming accuracy, shorten aiming time, and enhance experimental efficiency.

[0022] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides an online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, comprising: a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a lens connector, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a vacuum window flange, a reflector and a scintillator assembly; the optical coupling lens is connected to the readout camera and the lens connector respectively; the lens connector is arranged on the tilt angle adjustment platform; the tilt angle adjustment platform is arranged on the vacuum window flange; the tilt angle adjustment platform and the lens connector are also arranged on a preset vacuum window flange, the vacuum window flange is used to isolate the atmosphere from the vacuum environment, and adjust the field of view of the readout camera by adjusting the angle of the tilt angle adjustment platform; the reflector is arranged in the vacuum environment in the vacuum window flange; the scintillator assembly is arranged at the cathode slit of the preset streak camera.

[0024] This embodiment discloses a monitoring device that can be used for online aiming of a target, a front aperture, and a streak camera slit in a vacuum environment. Figures 2 to 4As shown, it consists of a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a lens connector, a vacuum window flange, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a reflector, and a scintillator assembly. The scintillator is installed near the cathode slit of the streak camera and can generate visible light during the target shooting process. The angle of the reflector and its position in the vacuum flange are determined by the design of the optical path. The tilt angle adjustment platform and the lens connector are installed on the vacuum window flange. This part not only isolates the atmosphere from the vacuum environment, but also adjusts the angle of the readout camera by adjusting the tilt angle adjustment platform. The readout camera and the optical coupling lens are mounted on the tilt angle adjustment platform via the lens connector to achieve real-time signal reading. When the ultraviolet simulated light source of the target or the X-rays generated by the target shooting pass through the front pinhole aperture and enter the X-ray streak camera, they illuminate the scintillator at the front end of the cathode. The scintillator emits visible light and enters the readout camera through the reflector. If it is found after target shooting that the streak camera has not collected any physical signals or has collected abnormal physical signals, the image collected by the readout camera can be analyzed. If there is a positional difference between the visible light generated by the scintillator and the cathode slit, it can be determined that the X-rays entering the streak camera through the aperture do not coincide with the cathode slit. The pixel size and resolution of the readout camera are known, and a simple calculation using image analysis software can be used to obtain the distance between the two, providing qualitative and quantitative data for aperture pointing adjustment, thereby achieving the purpose of auxiliary aiming.

[0025] In addition to assisting aiming, this device can also collect optical images near the cathode of the streak camera, and observe the alignment between the time-scale light output end and the slit of the X-ray streak camera in the field of view.

[0026] Figure 5 To verify the cathode monitoring system's installation on an X-ray streak camera, a laboratory simulation test was conducted on the designed cathode monitoring system. Grid paper was placed 140 mm from the mounting flange. The experimental results showed that the system's field of view was approximately 50 mm by 40 mm. The system was then mounted on an X-ray streak camera, and images were captured to verify that it could observe the entire cathode sheet.

[0027] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The device is matched with the X-ray streak camera in the experiment of upgrading the Shenguang II. The images collected during the target shooting process are as follows: Figure 6 is the image collected before correcting the aiming, Figure 7 This is the image collected after correcting the aiming. It can be seen that this device can clearly collect the positional relationship between the visible light emitted by the scintillator and the slit when the X-ray hits the target, and can provide quantitative reference data for correcting the direction and aiming of the aperture cone, with a significant auxiliary aiming function.

[0028] The present invention designs a simple imaging device capable of real-time monitoring of the state of the photocathode input surface of an X-ray streak camera in a vacuum environment. The device comprises a readout camera, an optical coupling lens, a tilt angle adjustment platform, a reflector, a vacuum-sealed mounting flange, and a scintillator. The scintillator is mounted in close proximity to the photocathode input surface of the X-ray streak camera. When soft X-rays generated by intense laser target shooting pass through a front-end pinhole aperture system and strike the scintillator in front of the X-ray photocathode, the scintillator emits light, forming a visible light image. This image is then reflected by the reflector and reaches the readout camera, where it is recorded and stored. Based on this image data, the quantitative deviation between the X-ray irradiation and the streak camera slit can be directly visually determined. Through conversion, the adjustment direction and amount of the conical pinhole aperture can be determined, providing a quantitative reference for alignment between the target sphere, the conical pinhole aperture, and the X-ray streak camera slit.

[0029] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0030] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An online auxiliary aiming device for an X-ray streak camera, characterized in that: include: Readout camera, optical coupling lens, lens connector, tilt angle adjustment platform, vacuum window flange, reflector and scintillator assembly; The optical coupling lens is connected to the readout camera and the lens connector respectively; the lens connector is arranged on the tilt angle adjustment platform; the tilt angle adjustment platform is arranged on the vacuum window flange; the tilt angle adjustment platform and the lens connector are also arranged on a preset vacuum window flange, and the vacuum window flange is used to isolate the atmosphere from the vacuum environment, and adjust the field of view of the readout camera by adjusting the angle of the tilt angle adjustment platform; the reflector is arranged in the vacuum environment in the vacuum window flange; the scintillator assembly is arranged at the cathode slit of the preset streak camera.

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