High spectral and spatial resolution of monochromatic x-ray shadowgraphy of an expanding laser plasma

A focusing spectrograph with a spherical crystal was used to obtain two-dimensional images of an expanding laser plasma which transmitted monochromatic x-ray radiation from a plasma source. Experiments characterised by a high spectral (λ/Δλ ~ 10⁴) and spatial (Δr < 10 μm) resolution showed that the brightness of the shadow images depended on the x-ray absorption mechanism and on the parameters of the investigated plasma. The method is suitable, in principle, for determination of the plasma parameters.