Absorption coefficients of a hydrogen plasma for laser radiation

The formalism for the calculation of the absorption of radiation by a hydrogen plasma at common laboratory conditions is summarized. The hydrogen plasma absorption coefficient for laser radiation has been computed for a wide range of electron densities (10¹⁵- 10¹⁸ cm^-3) and temperatures (10 000-40 000 °K). The results of this computation are presented in a graphical form that permits a determination of the absorption coefficient for the following laser wavelengths: 0.176, 0.325, 0.337, 0.442, 0.488, 0.51, 0.633, 0.694, 1.06, 1.15, 2.36, 3.39, 5.40 and 10.6 Μm. The application of these results and laser radiation absorption measurements to plasma diagnostics is discussed briefly.