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Title: Bremsstrahlung spectra for Al, Cs, and Au atoms in high-temperature, high-density plasmas

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

Results are presented from a numerical calculation for the bremsstrahlung spectrum and Gaunt factors of Al, Cs, and Au atoms in high-temperature (-T), high-density (-rho) plasmas. Plasma temperatures kT = 0.1 and 1.0 keV and plasma densities rho = rho/sub 0/ (the normal solid density) and rho = 100rho/sub 0/ are considered. This allows us to determine the generality and identify the origins of features which we had previously identified in calculations for Cs. We also now present results for the total energy loss of an electron in such a plasma. We use a relativistic multipole code which treats the bremsstrahlung process as a single-electron transition in a static screened central potential. We take for the static potential corresponding to an atom in a hot dense plasma the finite-temperature, finite-density Thomas-Fermi model. This approach corresponds to an average atom in local thermodynamic equilibrium. In comparison to isolated-neutral-atom results we observe general suppression of cross sections and a particular suppression in the tip region of the spectrum. Within this model, both superscreening and shape resonances are found in the circumstances of extreme density. At more normal densities and except for the soft-photon end, the spectrum at these energies for an atom in a hot plasma (characterized by an average degree of ionization) can be well represented by the spectrum of the corresponding isolated ion, which has a similar potential shape at the distances which characterize the process.

Research Organization:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
OSTI ID:
5344721
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Vol. 32:3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English