Detailed characterization of laser plasmas for benchmarking of radiation-hydrodynamic modeling

We have applied Thomson scattering for accurate measurements of densities, temperatures, and ionization levels in dense laser-produced gold plasmas, These experiments give a unique data set that has allowed us to make critical comparisons with two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations showing that dielectronic recombination is an important process in cooling laser plasmas. Consistent with this result, additional X-ray spectroscopic measurements of the emission from the gold plasma also indicate a rapidly recombining plasma. These findings are important for the development of kinetics models relevant to high-Z laser-irradiated plasmas and to test our calculational capability for future high-density plasma experiments. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.