Comparison of coolants for achieving short-wavelength recombination lasing

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Applied Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.347139· OSTI ID:6813285

Thornhill, J W; Apruzese, J P; Giuliani, J L; Roelant, D ^[1]

---

1. Radiation Hydrodynamics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (US)

A promising approach for reducing the operating wavelength of x-ray lasers is the generation of population inversions via recombination in rapidly cooling plasmas. We have examined the relative merits of radiative and hydrodynamic cooling in a freely expanding plasma. The specific lasing scheme studied is recombination in heliumlike silicon, but the general results apply to other elements and ionization stages which are capable of generating gain in the soft x-ray region. We find that the higher radiative cooling rates obtained by mixing the silicon lasant with a high atomic number coolant are more than offset by the reduced expansion cooling brought on by the higher mass density associated with the high-{ital Z} elements. Specific results are presented for hydrogen, carbon, aluminum, and selenium coolants mixed with silicon lasant. The present results do not apply to magnetically confined lasant plasmas where high-{ital Z} radiators might be valuable.

• OSTI ID: 6813285
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA) Vol. 68:1; ISSN 0021-8979; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
ALUMINIUM
CARBON
CONSERVATION LAWS
CONTINUITY EQUATIONS
COOLING
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROGEN
LASERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
METALS
NONMETALS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
POPULATION INVERSION
RADIATIVE COOLING
RECOMBINATION
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
X-RAY LASERS