Diagnosis of high-Z plasma with soft X-ray laser probe

Abstract

It is important to diagnose electron density of a plasma irradiated by lasers for inertial confinement fusion, in high energy density physics and related fields, especially for measuring high-Z plasma near the interface. Use of soft X-ray laser as a probe is an important method in diagnosis of plasma electron density distribution. However, it is difficult to carry out the research in high-Z laser plasma, because of the problem of excessive plasma spontaneous radiation. In view of the characteristics of soft X-ray laser, several specific experimental techniques have been developed. By using these techniques, which can greatly suppress effects of spontaneous radiation, diagnosis of high-Z plasma with soft X-ray laser probe method becomes possible. As a typical example, an experiment of diagnosing gold plasma is performed and clear images are obtained, indicating that the techniques are effective and feasible.