Multiple-Pulse Driver Line

2015:

The multiple-pulse driver line (MPD) provides on-shot co-propagation of two separate pulse shapes in all 60 OMEGA beams. Smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) bandwidth is applied to the picket pulse shape (pulse A) generated by the SSD driver. No bandwidth is applied to the pulse generated by the Phoenix (PHX) driver (pulse B). SSD is used to prevent early-time beam imperfections from imprinting onto the target. However, there is an energy penalty associated with running SSD, the bulk of which can be recovered if SSD is not applied during the main pulse.

Shown here is Laboratory Engineer Jeremy Zenkar (left) and OMEGA System Scientist Tanya Kosc (right) align a diagnostic supporting MPD