Photopumped x-ray laser research on Saturn

Conference · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10180835

Nash, T J; Spielman, R B; Vargas, M; Ruggles, L

Using Saturn as a driver, we are pursuing both photoresonantly pumped and photoionization/recombination lasers. Our lasing targets are gas cells with thin windows that are pumped by a z pinch 2 cm away radiating 10 TW. In both schemes the lasant and gas fill is neon. We will present evidence for inversion in the sodium/neon photoresonant scheme but we have yet to detect the lasing transition itself. To increase our chances of measuring this line we have introduced potassium into a sodium z-pinch and have eliminated oxygen from the gas cell windows. We have measured the spatial dependence of ionization balance across the gas cell, and this measurement is consistent with propagation of a shock front across the gas cell target. We have measured the Li-like neon 5f-3d transition to increase more rapidly with fill pressure than all other measured lines. Based on this result we have performed experiments emphasizing the photoionization/recombination laser scheme that use a flat-field grazing incidence spectrometer to provide good spatial resolution of the 4f-3d, 4d-3p, and 5f-3d lines of Li-like neon. We have attempted a gain length measurement by imaging parallel to a baffle that varies the length of the target illuminated.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 10180835
• Report Number(s): SAND--93-1639C; CONF-930722--25; ON: DE93019430
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002
LASERS AND MASERS
OPTICAL PUMPING
PHOTOIONIZATION
RECOMBINATION
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
X-RAY LASERS