State-of-the-art hohlraum modeling for indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments often neglects magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) because of substantial questions regarding its implementation. Through experiments at OMEGA and complementary simulations using the radiation hydrodynamics code HYDRA, the impact of self-generated electric and magnetic fields on plasma-bubble expansion and interface dynamics in laser-heated foils is being studied and HYDRA’s MHD implementation is being assessed. Here, we present updates on the analysis and interpretation of proton radiographs, x-ray self-emission images, and Thomson scattering data of copper foils in vacuum and with under-dense SiO2 foam linings and compare with synthetic diagnostic data from 2D HYDRA simulations. These experiments provide a foundation for interpreting the complicated self-generated field structures observed in hohlraum experiments and a systematic approach to evaluating inconsistencies with hydrodynamic simulations.
