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We present an overview of the development of our Fresnel Refractive Diffractive Radiography (FDR) platform for the Extreme Light Laboratory (ELL) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This platform couples isochorically heated buried wires with dynamic X-ray phase-contrast imaging of the warm dense matter (WDM) samples 1 . By utilizing novel 1 µm-wide slits, we obtain a highly spatially coherent x-ray source that gives rise to significant refractive and diffractive features from micron-scale density gradients at the interface 2 . Measurement of the evolution of this density profile, driven primarily by the equation of state and thermal conductivity, opens the door for direct measurements of transport properties in WDM 3 . By utilizing a copper tape drive and novel wire extruder we create replenishing solid targets that allow for significantly higher repetition rates than previously demonstrated.

We present on the design, use, and alignment procedure of novel 1 µm-wide slits for use in x-ray diffractive radiography of warm dense matter at the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

We have produced a cryogenic buffer-gas cooled beam of the diatomic molecular radical CH (methylidyne). This molecule is of interest for studying cold chemical reactions and fundamental physics measurements. Its light mass and ground-state structure make it a promising candidate for electrostatic guiding and Stark deceleration, which allows for control over its kinetic energy. This control can facilitate studies of reactions with tuneable collision energies and trapping for precise spectroscopic studies. Here, we have demonstrated electrostatic guiding of CH with fluxes up to $10^9$ molecules per steradian per pulse, 10 pages, 10 figures