Hot, dense, millimeter-scale, high-Z plasmas for laser-plasma interactions studies

B H Failor; J C Fernandez; B H Wilde; A L Osterheld; J A Cobble; P L Gobby

doi:10.1103/physreve.59.6053

Hot, dense, millimeter-scale, high-Z plasmas for laser-plasma interactions studies

Phys Rev E Stat Phys Plasmas Fluids Relat Interdiscip Topics. 1999 May;59(5 Pt B):6053-7. doi: 10.1103/physreve.59.6053.

Authors

B H Failor¹, J C Fernandez, B H Wilde, A L Osterheld, J A Cobble, P L Gobby

Affiliation

¹ Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1660, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.

PMID: 11969590
DOI: 10.1103/physreve.59.6053

Abstract

We have designed and produced hot, millimeter-scale, high-Z plasmas of interest for National Ignition Facility hohlraum target design. Using a high-Z gas fill produces electron temperatures in the 3.5-6-keV range, the highest temperatures measured to date for high-density (10(21) e/cm(3)) laser-heated plasmas, and much higher than the 3 keV found for low-Z (neopentane) fills. These measurements are in good agreement with the target design calculations, and the L-shell spectroscopic approach used to estimate the electron temperature has certain advantages over traditional K-shell approaches.