HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY OF LASER-PRODUCED PLASMAS IN THE PHOTON-ENERGY-RANGE ABOVE 10-KEV

X-rays from a laser-produced plasma were analysed using single-photon counting germanium detectors. Special attention was given to the extre mely high photon flux, requiring either a long source-detector distanc e and narrow collimated measurement geometry in order to avoid severe pile-up of pulses in the spectrometer, or the use of a Compton scatter ing geometry. With the use of these techniques, individual characteris tic K-lines were resolved for the first time. Efficiencies for the con version of the laser light into X-rays were determined, being up to 10 (-4) for Bremsstrahlung, and up to 10(-5) for the characteristic K-lin e emission. Electron temperatures of similar to 100 keV were assessed.