Experiments on hot and dense laser-produced plasmas

Plasmas generated by irradiating targets with {approx}20 kJ of laser energy are routinely created in inertial confinement fusion research. X-ray spectroscopy provides one of the few methods for diagnosing the electron temperature and electron density. For example, electron densities approaching 10{sup 24} cm{sup -3} have been diagnosed by spectral linewidths. However, the accuracy of the spectroscopic diagnostics depends on the population kinetics, the radiative transfer, and the line shape calculations. Analysis for the complex line transitions has recently been improved and accelerated by the use of a database where detailed calculations can be accessed rapidly and interactively. Examples of data from Xe and Ar doped targets demonstrate the current analytic methods. First we will illustrate complications that arise from the presence of a multitude of underlying spectral lines. Then, we will consider the Ar He-like 1s{sup 2}({sup 1}S{sub 0}) - 1s3p({sup 1}P{sub 0}) transition where ion dynamic effects may affect the profile. Here, the plasma conditions are such that the static ion microfield approximation is no longer valid; therefore in addition to the width, the details of the line shape can be used to provide additional information. We will compare the data to simulations and discuss the possible pitfalls involved in demonstrating the effect of ion dynamics on lineshapes.