The use of nuclear radiation to excite lasers is examined from the perspective of nuclear flashlamps. Nuclear driven flashlamps can also be used as photon sources for photochemical and photovoltaic events. This can lead to the large scale production of chemicals and electricity.

The time-dependent condition for population inversion in the X-ray 3 → 2 transition in hydrogen-like ions of a recombining plasma produced by a short laser pulse is studied. The population densities of the energy levels are theoretically obtained in a collisional-radiative plasma model; the reabsorption of the 2 → 1 resonance line is taken into account via the escape probability. A new feature is first that the escape probability is treated as an explicitly time-dependent function, E21(r,t). On the basis of a four-level model of the H-like ions, the rate differential equations governing the time development of the population densities are considered, including time-dependent pumping terms and coefficients. Furthermore, specially modeling the time dependence of E21 (r,t), and assuming the other rate coefficients to be approximately constant with respect to time, via the explicit closed-form solution of the corresponding rate equations, the Balmer-α inversion condition ΔN32(r,t) > 0 is given in terms containing confluent hypergeometric functions and depends on rate coefficients, pumping terms, and explicitly on the time. For the free-electron density Ne of the recombining plasma, this relation means a condition depending on atomic and plasma state parameters and qualitatively changing in the course of time.

The propagation of electron driven shock waves has been investigated by employing a one-dimensional, three-component fluid model. In the fluid model, the basic set of equations consists of equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, plus Poisson's equation. The wave is assumed to be a shock front followed by a dynamical transition region. Following Fowler's (1976) categorization of breakdown waves, the waves propagating into a preionized medium will be referred to as Class II Waves. To describe the breakdown waves, Shelton and Fowler (1968) used the terms proforce and antiforce waves, depending on whether the applied electric field force on electrons was with or against the direction of wave propagation. Breakdown waves, i.e., return strokes of lightning flashes, therefore, will be referred to as Antiforce Class II waves. The shock boundary conditions and Poisson's equation for Antiforce Class II waves are different from those for Antiforce Waves. The use of a newly derived set of boundary conditions and Poisson's equation for Antiforce Class II waves allows for a successful integration of the set of fluid equations through the dynamical transition region. The wave structure, i.e., electric field, electron concentration, electron temperature, and electron velocity, are very sensitive to the ion concentration ahead of the wave.

Numerical analyses show that a 40% mixing inhomogeneity of the deuterium (D) and tritium (T) concentrations in a DT pellet still gives a sufficient fusion energy output in DT inertial confinement fusion (ICF), as long as the D and T total amounts are equal. This new result means that fusion energy output is rather insensitive to the inhomogeneous fuel mixing in the DT ICF pellet.

In this paper, we present the results of our theoretical studies on the angular dependence of M and N band peaks emitted from a laser irradiated gold foil. The M band peak is seen to be nearly isotropic, while the magnitude of the N band peak decreases as we move away from normal to the foil. The trend is similar to that reported in the experiments of Chase et al.: (1977) for aluminium foil. It is also observed that the N band peak shifts towards longer wavelength as the angle φ relative to the normal to the target increases. We also present the effect of angular anisotropy on time and frequency integrated total conversion efficiency of laser light into X rays using a high Z target. As compared with the diffusion approximation, a significant reduction in conversion efficiency is observed for a wide range of laser powers, and wavelengths.

The recombination X-ray laser scheme is considered in the case of recombining plasmas produced by laser pulses which are short to such a degree that the condition for inversion in X-ray transitions of the ions is essentially time-dependent. Using an analytic four-level model, applicable for H-like and Li-like ions, we calculate the inversion conditions for the 4→3, 3→2, and 2→l transitions in H-like ions as functions of time. As we have already shown, a drastic change occurs, especially for the 3→2 transition. To achieve inversion, for short times the free-electron density as a function of the temperature Te, Neinv(Te), must be greater than a critical density Nesh (Te), Neinv(Te) > Nesh(Te), whereas for longer times in the quasi-steady state, Neinv(Te) must be smaller than a critical density Neqv(Te), Neinv(Te) < Nequ(Te). We also consider the evolution of the inversion condition in the intermediate time domain. The time duration of the existence of the short-time 3→2 inversion condition–in the time interval from the initial state with unoccupied lower levels to the quasi-steady state—is in the main determined by t α 1/A21; for example, one has t ≈ 730 fs for Na.

In a plasma produced in particular by optical-field ionization, during the initial cascade populating the excited levels, an inversion may be possible in the 2→1 resonance line transition in the transient regime. The inversion in this transition is of interest especially because of the arising possibility to achieve X-ray gain at shorter wavelengths. In the transient case, an inversion occurs for a small time depending on the temperature Te and the density N.

In addition, we discuss generally the time behavior of the population densities (especially of N3) and show that an optimal population density occurs, on the one hand, for very short times (fs region, depending on Z). On the other hand, however, the optimal (ion-)density-temperature relation is determined via a time of the optimal population density required with regard to the experimental conditions.

The nonlinear stage in the growth of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in three dimensions (3D) is studied using a 3D multimaterial hydrodynamic code. The growth of a single classical 3D square and rectangular modes is compared to the growth in planar and cylindrical geometries and found to be close to the corresponding cylindrical mode, which is in agreement with a new Layzer-type model for 3D bubble growth. The Atwood number effect on the final shape of the instability is demonstrated. Calculations in spherical geometry of the late deceleration stage of a typical ICF pellet have been performed. The different late time shapes obtained are shown to be a result of the initial conditions and the high Atwood number. Finally, preliminary results of calculations of two-mode coupling and random perturbations growth in 3D are presented.

After the theory of dynamic double layers in laser-produced plasmas arrived at several significant results in agreement with measurement, including particle acceleration, a clarification was given to the paper by Bryant et al. (1992) negating such acceleration. The discrepancy seems to be in the definition of static double layers in contradiction with dynamic double layers that are created in laser-induced plasma. We present here new results on the acceleration of electrons in a laser-irradiated plasma by double layer mechanisms. A simple analytical example is given.