Computational Modelling of the Nickel-like Samarium X-Ray Laser.

The Nickel-like Samarium X-Ray Laser (XRL) lasing ar 73Å has exhibited saturation experimentally with a travelling-wave (TW) pump configuration. In this paper, the detailed computational modelling of this XRL is presented, and where possible the predictions of the code are compared with experiment. Simulation clearly shows how the development of the electron density and ionisation over the lifetime of the background pulse lead a optimum arrival time for the picosecond pumping pulse. Additionally, it is clear that although high gain is produced, it is often inaccessible to the XRL beam over the full length of the plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]