First Iron Opacity Experiments on the National Ignition Facility*

Iron opacity experiments on the Sandia National Laboratories Z machine have shown up to factors of two discrepancies between theory and experiment. To help resolve these discrepancies an experimental platform for doing comparable opacity experiments is being developed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Initial iron data has been taken at a temperature of \textasciitilde 150 eV and an electron density of \textasciitilde 6x10$^{\mathrm{21}}$/cm$^{\mathrm{3}}$, but higher temperatures and densities will be required to address the discrepancies that have been observed in the Z experiments. The plans to go to higher temperatures and densities and how to deal with current issues with instrumental backgrounds will be discussed.