Abstract
Various designs for producing a soft X-ray laser require a large homogeneous plasma (with a scale length of at least 100 mu m), having a density on the order of 10**2**0 cm**-**3. The authors have produced a large, high-density, high-temperature plasma by combining a high-power laser with a capillary electrical discharge. A low-temperature, high-density plasma is produced by passing a slow electrical discharge through a flat capillary filled with an appropriate element and then heated by a 20 GW Nd-glass laser pulse focused to a line. An average electron temperature of about 250 eV and electron density of about 10**2**0 cm**-**3 was derived from intensity ratios of the various H-like and He-like lines. X-ray pinhole photographs indicate that the hot plasma is 8 mm long and 0. 2 mm wide. The major advantage of the method is the separation between the process of creating a high-density plasma and the process of heating it. This separation provides conditions that are optimal for population inversion production.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 69-70 |
Number of pages | 2 |
State | Published - 1987 |
Externally published | Yes |