Opacity measurements of a hot iron plasma using an x-ray laser

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Jul 21;97(3):035001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.035001. Epub 2006 Jul 18.

Abstract

The temporal evolution of the opacity of an iron plasma at high temperature (30-350 eV) and high density (0.001-0.2 g cm-3) has been measured using a nickel-like silver x-ray laser at 13.9 nm. The hot dense iron plasma was created in a thin (50 nm) iron layer buried 80 nm below the surface in a plastic target that was heated using a separate 80 ps pulse of 6-9 J, focused to a 100 microm diameter spot. The experimental opacities are compared with opacities evaluated from plasma conditions predicted using a fluid and atomic physics code.