Soft-X-Ray Amplified Spontaneous Emission via the Auger Effect

It is proposed that amplified spontaneous emission in the soft-x-ray region can be obtained using inner-shell population inversions arising from the Auger effect. I treat ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ and show that with present-day technology it appears possible to generate a pulse of ${10}^{-5\mathrm{}}$ to ${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$ J in less than a nanosecond at 410 Å. The possible effect of interatomic Auger processes in the solid is discussed but high-electron-density effects are not accounted for.