An experimental attempt to produce Thomson scattering with soft X-ray lasers

Abstract

Thomson scattering is one of the important methods of diagnosing parameters of the hot and dense plasma state that receive widespread attention. But the probe light wavelength for Thomson scattering is more limited to the visible or ultraviolet light, so the electron density that is copable to be diagnosed is much lower than the critical density of the driving laser. In comparison, soft X-ray laser as a probe is hopeful for diagnosing higher density of plasma. The experimental attempt of soft X-ray laser Thomson scattering has been carried out using Ne-like Ge soft X-ray laser generated on the SG-II high-power laser device. According to the scattering case, incoherent scattering and coherent scattering experiments were carried out, but it is unable to obtain the significant scattering spectrum. Theoretical analysis shows that the main reason may be the focusing power density of Ne-like Ge soft X-ray laser being not enough, in the experiments. By optimizing the experimental conditions, it is expected to obtain coherent Thomson scattering in the future.