The Creation of Radiation Dominated Plasmas Using Laboratory X-Ray Lasers

When short wavelength extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray laser radiation is focused onto solid targets, narrow deep features are ablated and a dense, low-temperature plasma is formed. We examine the radiation dominated plasma formed by 46.9 nm laser radiation focused onto solids and show that ionisation can be significantly modified by electron degeneracy effects. Some experimental and theoretical considerations for investigating the interaction of capillary discharge lasers operating at 46.9 nm with solid and gas targets are presented.