New dual laser plasma investigations of inner-shell excitations

Absorption spectroscopy of laser plasma plumes with XUV continuum radiation from a second laser-produced plasma generated on a high atomic number targ et provides a flexible approach to the study of inner-shell and multiple-el ectron excitations in atoms and ions. This technique, termed the Dual Laser Plasma (DLP) photoabsorption technique, is applied here to generate new da ta for: 2s inner-shell excitations in neutral neon, Na+ and Mg2+; 2p photoa bsorption in neutral silicon; and 3p photoabsorption in Cr2+. Some prelimin ary interpretative results based on detailed Cowan code calculations are al so presented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.