Symmetric Laser Compression of Argon-Filled Glass Shells to Densities of 4-6 g/cm3
Abstract
Argon-filled plastic-coated glass shells were imploded with the six-beam ZETA laser system with short (~50-psec) pulses of energy ~ 100 J. Densities in the range 4-6 g/cm3 [Ne=(1.0-0.5)×1024 cm-3] temperatures ~ 1 keV were deduced from the Stark profiles of various Ar16+, Ar17+ x-ray lines. These densities are achieved because of the shell thickness and radiational cooling of the high-Z fill gas and show that symmetric illumination can lead to high-volume convergence (> 1000).
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- April 1980
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.44.1072
- Bibcode:
- 1980PhRvL..44.1072Y
- Keywords:
-
- Argon Plasma;
- Fuel Capsules;
- Gas Density;
- Laser Fusion;
- Laser Plasma Interactions;
- Laser Targets;
- Electron Density Profiles;
- Lyman Spectra;
- Optical Thickness;
- Pulsed Lasers;
- Stark Effect;
- Temperature Effects;
- Plasma Physics;
- 52.50.Jm;
- 52.70.Kz;
- Plasma production and heating by laser beams;
- Optical measurements