DENSITY DIAGNOSTICS OF AN ARGON PLASMA BY HEAVY-ION BEAMS AND SPECTROSCOPY

Experiments have been performed to investigate charge state and energy loss of 5.9-MeV/u uranium ions in a partially ionized dense argon pla sma with 10(17) less than or equal to n(e) less than or equal to 10(19 ) cm(-3) and 1 less than or equal to T-e less than or equal to 10 eV. The charge state of the ions was found to be equal to the equilibrium charge state in cold gas. The energy loss offered a useful tool for pl asma density diagnostics. Spectroscopic measurements using the electro n collision broadening of ArII- and ArIII-lines in the visible and UV spectral region confirm this plasma density data.