Thomson Scattering from High- <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi mathvariant="italic">Z</mi></math></span> Laser-Produced Plasmas

S. H. Glenzer; W. Rozmus; B. J. MacGowan; K. G. Estabrook; J. D. De Groot; G. B. Zimmerman; H. A. Baldis; J. A. Harte; R. W. Lee; E. A. Williams; B. G. Wilson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.97

Thomson Scattering from High- $Z$ Laser-Produced Plasmas

S. H. Glenzer, W. Rozmus, B. J. MacGowan, K. G. Estabrook, J. D. De Groot, G. B. Zimmerman, H. A. Baldis, J. A. Harte, R. W. Lee, E. A. Williams, and B. G. Wilson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 97 – Published 4 January 1999

Abstract

We present the first simultaneous observations of ion acoustic and electron plasma waves in laser-produced dense plasmas with Thomson scattering. In addition to measuring the standard plasma parameters, electron temperature and density, this novel experimental technique is shown to be a sensitive method for temporally and spatially resolved measurements of the averaged ionization stage of the plasma. Experiments with highly ionized gold plasmas clearly show that the inclusion of dielectronic recombination in radiation-hydrodynamic modeling is critically important to model cooling plasmas.

Received 30 September 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.97

Authors & Affiliations

S. H. Glenzer¹, W. Rozmus^2,*, B. J. MacGowan¹, K. G. Estabrook¹, J. D. De Groot^1,3, G. B. Zimmerman¹, H. A. Baldis², J. A. Harte¹, R. W. Lee¹, E. A. Williams¹, and B. G. Wilson¹

¹L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551
²Institute for Lasers Science Applications, University of California, Livermore, California 94550
³Department of Applied Science and Plasma Research Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616