Experiments with ASTERIX and ATLAS

We report on measurements of the equation-of-state of copper and gold in th e multi-ten Megabar range, opacity measurements based on K-shell absorption in aluminium, and X-ray laser studies on a large number of neon-like ions applying the prepulse technique. For these investigations, the one-beam iod ine laser facility ASTERIX emitting pulses with energies of up to 1000 J at 1315 nm and of up to 420 J at 438 nm was used. We also give a brief accoun t of experimental and theoretical results referring to the propagation of a n ultrashort pulse through underdense hydrogen or nitrogen plasmas and X-ra y spectra from an optically field-ionized nitrogen plasma generated either by linearly or elliptically polarized light. For these investigations, 150- fs/200-mJ/800-nm pulses emitted from our titanium:sapphire laser ATLAS were employed. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.