Characterization of a laser-produced plasma using the technique of point-projection absorption spectroscopy

Journal Article · Thu Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.44.2641· OSTI ID:5264371

O'Neill, D M; Lewis, C L.S.; Neely, D; Davidson, S J ^[1]; Rose, S J ^[2]; Lee, R W ^[3]

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1. Department of Pure and Applied Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT71NN (Northern Ireland)
2. Laser Division, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (England)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore (California)

The technique of point-projection spectroscopy has been shown to be applicable to the study of expanding aluminum plasmas generated by {similar to}80 ps laser pulses incident on massive, aluminum stripe targets of {similar to}125 {mu}m width. Targets were irradiated at an intensity of 2.5{plus minus}0.5{times}10{sup 13} W/cm{sup 2} in a line focus geometry and under conditions similar to those of interest in x-ray laser schemes. Hydrogenic and heliumlike aluminum resonance lines were observed in absorption using a quasicontinuous uranium backlighter plasma. Using a pentaerythrital Bragg crystal as the dispersive element, a resolving power of {similar to}3500 was achieved with spatial resolution at the 5-{mu}m level in frame times of the order of 100 ps. Reduction of the data for times up to 150 ps after the peak of the incident laser pulse produced estimates of the temperature and ion densities present, as a function of space and time. The one-dimensional Lagrangian hydrodynamic code MEDUSA coupled to the atomic physics non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium ionized material package was used to simulate the experiment in planar geometry and has been shown to be consistent with the measurements.

• OSTI ID: 5264371
• Journal Information: Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States), Vol. 44:4; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
X-RAY SPECTRA
EXPANSION
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
MULTICHARGED IONS
POINT SOURCES
PULSES
X RADIATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IONS
METALS
PLASMA
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
700102* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Diagnostics