Fabrication technology for a series of cylindrical thin-wall cavity targets

Cylindrical thin-wall cavity targets have been fabricated to study the behavior of superthermal electrons and their effects on inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Self-supporting cavity targets having adjustable, uniform wall thickness, and low surface roughness were required. This required production of high-quality mandrels, coating them by sputtering or electroplating, developing techniques for measurement of wall thickness and other cavity parameters, improving the uniformity of rotation of the mandrels, and preventing damage to the targets during removal from the mandrels. Details of the fabrication process are presented. Experimental results from the use of these targets are presented. These results, in good agreement with simulations, indicate that the use of thin-wall cavity targets is an effective method for studying superthermal electrons in ICF.