Computational simulation of a recombination x-ray CVI ion laser pumped with 2 ps pulses

Calculations are made of lasing resulting from the 3 – 2 transition in the C ion VI under the same conditions as in an experimental investigation of the VULCAN recombination x-ray laser at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory. A carbon filament target with a diameter of 7 μm and up to 5 mm long was irradiated with Nd laser pulses (λ = 1.053 μm) of ~2.4 ps duration and ~20 J energy. The calculated space-and-time average value of the gain coefficient at the 18.2 nm wavelength was ~18 cm^–1 for the specific absorbed energy. This was in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results. The optimal lasing conditions for the investigated target irradiation conditions were estimated.