Measurements of Suprathermal Electrons in Hohlraum Plasmas with X-Ray Spectroscopy

S. H. Glenzer; F. B. Rosmej; R. W. Lee; C. A. Back; K. G. Estabrook; B. J. MacGowan; T. D. Shepard; R. E. Turner

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.365

Measurements of Suprathermal Electrons in Hohlraum Plasmas with X-Ray Spectroscopy

S. H. Glenzer, F. B. Rosmej, R. W. Lee, C. A. Back, K. G. Estabrook, B. J. MacGowan, T. D. Shepard, and R. E. Turner

Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 365 – Published 13 July 1998

Abstract

Nonthermal excitation of atomic states by suprathermal electrons was observed for the first time within inertial confinement fusion hohlraum plasmas. The nonthermal excitation process results in the simultaneous emission of the $Ly - α$ transition and the $K$ -shell satellite series (lithiumlike through carbonlike) which were observed on temporally resolved x-ray emission spectra. A quantitative analysis with a time-dependent collisional-radiative non-Maxwellian model shows that these spectra can be used to obtain temporally and spatially resolved measurements of the suprathermal electron fraction in indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion targets.

Received 11 August 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.365

Authors & Affiliations

S. H. Glenzer¹, F. B. Rosmej², R. W. Lee¹, C. A. Back¹, K. G. Estabrook¹, B. J. MacGowan¹, T. D. Shepard¹, and R. E. Turner¹

¹L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551
²Institut für Experimentalphysik V, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany