Characteristics of a laser plasma x-ray source (review)

The radiative characteristics of complex multiply charged ions are reviewed and studied. The rates of various mechanisms of radiation losses in a homogeneous plasma are determined over wide ranges of electron temperatures 10–10⁵ eV, electron densities up to ~10²⁴ cm^–3, and atomic numbers z_N ~10–80. The efficiency of conversion of laser radiation into x rays is considered in the photon energy range higher than ~0.1 keV. It is found that for elements with z_N ~30 the radiation losses may represent a substantial (~1/4) fraction of the absorbed energy.