SPECTROSCOPIC SIGNATURE OF NON-MAXWELLIAN AND NONSTATIONARY EFFECTS IN PLASMAS HEATED BY INTENSE, ULTRASHORT LASER-PULSES

The interaction of an intense (10(16) W/cm(2)), ultrashort (400 fs) 1. 06 mu m laser pulse normally incident on an aluminum preformed plasma was simulated with an electron kinetic code. Postprocessing with a det ailed atomic model predicted the resulting K-shell x-ray spectrum. Bot h the very rapid time variation and the non-Maxwellian energy distribu tion (due to the steep gradients, energetic electrons stream from the hot into the cold plasma and enhance the excitation of Li-like satelli tes there) greatly modify the line ratios, even without any addition o f hot electrons.