Soft X-Ray Laser Amplification and Plasma Dynamics in Capillary Discharge

Abstract

The optimum conditions for soft x-ray laser amplification through the dynamics of Ar plasma, created by the capillary discharge Z-pinch, have been investigated. The numerical simulation of plasma dynamics was based on magnetohydrodynamic one-dimensional radiation model. The plasma behavior of the implosion-pinch phase was analyzed, taking plasma atomic processes into account. The optimum soft x-ray lasing occurs in the 3 s -3 p transition in Ne-like Ar plasma. Radiation emission and absorption processes of the resonance line on this plasma were calculated by means of escape probabilities. The temporal and spatial distribution of the density and temperature in plasmas, and the gain of lasing were evaluated at different initial discharge pressures ranging from 300 to 3000 mTorr.