Measurement of 0.1–3-keV x rays from laser plasmas

We have made absolute measurements of x-ray spectra from 0.1–1.5 keV produced by plasmas from targets irradiated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Nova laser. These measurements were made using a 15-channel K- and L-edge filtered x-ray diode system. Valid interpretation of the results from this type of diagnostic requires some care in eliminating the effect of channel response at photon energies higher than the absorption edge. Significant errors can occur if this is disregarded. We will discuss the techniques used and the magnitude of the effects observed. Integrated x-ray energy in the 1.5–3-keV region is inferred from the results.