Machining CRF Foam for use in Laboratory Astrophysics

Carbonized resorcinol formaldehyde (CRF) foam is used in supernova Rayleigh-Taylor (SNRT) experiments to simulate astrophysical phenomena. We report how CRF foam is machined within the tolerances needed to simulate astrophysical phenomena in the laboratory. SNRT targets fabricated at the University of Michigan will contain CRF machined by this technology when they are shot at the Omega Laser Facility in Rochester, NY. It is essential that the top surface of the CRF foam be within the micrometer tolerances. We characterize, image, and analyze the quality of the CRF foam surface using an electron microscope. The integrity of the CRF foam is further diagnosed using x-ray radiography. This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grants DE-FG03-99DP00284 and DE-FG03-00SF22021.