X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY AND IMAGING OF HOT DENSE-PLASMA CREATED BY COLLIDING FOILS - SIMULATION OF SPECTRA

A simple strategy is presented to create moderately coupled plasmas: i t consists in a colliding foil system irradiated by two laser beams. I n these correlated plasmas, signatures of transient molecular behaviou r are shown. Two studies are intensively developed here: the simulatio n of the experiment and the X-ray spectroscopic and imaging diagnostic s. A reciprocal action between the two studies allows an optimization of both the compression and the associated dense plasma effects. We pr esent accurate fluorine Ly beta spectra as an appropriate example for the exhibition of the non-spherical symmetry of the bound electronic s tructure. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.