Measurement of the repeatability of the prompt flashlamp-induced wavefront aberration on beamlines at the National Ignition Facility

We have undertaken a measurement campaign to determine the repeatability of the prompt flashlamp-induced wavefront aberration on beamlines at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and determine the extent to which shot-to-shot variations in this aberration may degrade the performance of a proposed adaptive optics system for the short-pulse Advanced Radiographic Capability beamline on NIF. In this paper we will describe the unique NIF configuration that was required to make this measurement, present the results of the experiment, and discuss the implications of these results for the adaptive optics system design.