Hot, dense, millimeter-scale, high-Z plasmas for laser-plasma interactionsstudies

We have designed and produced hot, millimeter;scale, high-Z plasmas of inte rest for National Ignition Facility hohlraum target design. Using a high-Z gas fill produces electron temperatures in the 3.5-6-keV range, the highest temperatures measured to date for high-density (10(21) e/cm(3)) laser-heat ed plasmas, and much higher than the 3 keV found for low-Z (neopentane) fil ls. These measurements are in good agreement with the target design calcula tions, and the L-shell spectroscopic approach used to estimate the electron temperature has certain advantages over traditional K-shell approaches. [S 1063-651X(99)15205-X].