Studies in the Physics of X-Ray Generation by Laser-Heated Plasmas.
Abstract
A discussion of the kinetics of heating radiation of a laser-heated plasma is presented. Estimates are derived for all relevant reaction rates and time scales. It is possible, on the basis of very general considerations, to predict the main features of the x-ray spectrum, the validity of the optically thin approximation, and to obtain a minimum value of the total deposited energy below which no appreciable x-ray conversion is possible. The propagation of the laser light as it approaches the critical density plane is discussed. Since a large fraction of the energy absorption actually occurs at this surface, and it is here that the usual WKB solution fails, some special cases for which exact solution is possible are examined. The final results suggest a simple estimate for the field strength near the critical density plane which is not very sensitive to the finer details of the plasma density profile. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 07, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0751048
Entities
People
- Stephen Tamor