X-ray lasers for high density plasma diagnostics (invited)

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Abstract
Collisionally pumped soft x‐ray lasers now operate over a wavelength range extending from 35 to 300 Å. These well‐characterized sources have high peak brightness (GeV blackbody temperature) and narrow bandwidth making them ideal for x‐ray imaging and interferometry. We will describe experiments which have used the yttrium neon‐like x‐ray laser operating at 155 Å to probe plasmas at electron densities exceeding 4×1021 cm−3. The short pulse duration of this x‐ray laser (∼150 ps) has made it possible to image directly driven thin foils with 1–2 μm spatial resolution. Advances in multilayer mirrors and beam splitters have now also made it possible to develop x‐ray laser interferometers. We will describe initial experiments to probe plasmas relevant to ICF using x‐ray laser interferometry. The progress in the development of short pulse x‐ray lasers (∼30 ps) which are ultimately necessary to extend x‐ray laser diagnostic techniques to higher densities will also be presented.