Multicenter wavefunctions in opacity calculations for dense plasmas

Abstract

We present the results of calculations for the K-edges of representative transient carbon ion clusters in a dense carbon plasma. The calculations use the recently implemented non-“muffin-tin” scattered-wave method previously used in the molecular and solid-state fields. Based on a simple model for the cluster potentials it is shown that, compared with a single ion calculation, the presence of neighboring ions can significantly alter the K-edge photoionization cross sections, and hence the resulting opacities.