EXPERIMENTAL-EVIDENCE FOR PLASMA SHIFTS IN LYMAN SERIES OF ALUMINUM

The Lyman lines gamma, delta and epsilon of hydrogenic aluminum emitte d from a laser-generated plasma were recorded using a novel high-dispe rsion x-ray spectrometer. The shifts of the spatially resolved emissio n profiles were identified and correlated with the plasma densities in ferred from numerical simulation of the experiment. The red shifts obs erved are consistent with the predictions of the plasma polarization s hift based on the quantum-mechanical impact theory.