Powerful nanosecond laser-plasma processes are explored to generate discharge currents of a few 100 kA in coil targets, yielding magnetostatic fields (B-fields) in excess of 0.5 kT. The quasi-static currents are provided from hot electron ejection from the laser-irradiated surface. According to our model, which describes the evolution of the discharge current, the major control parameter is the laser irradiance $I_{\text{las}}{\lambda }_{\text{las}}^2$ . The space-time evolution of the B-fields is experimentally characterized by high-frequency bandwidth B-dot probes and proton-deflectometry measurements. The magnetic pulses, of ns-scale, are long enough to magnetize secondary targets through resistive diffusion. We applied it in experiments of laser-generated relativistic electron transport through solid dielectric targets, yielding an unprecedented 5-fold enhancement of the energy-density flux at 60 μm depth, compared to unmagnetized transport conditions. These studies pave the ground for magnetized high-energy density physics investigations, related to laser-generated secondary sources of radiation and/or high-energy particles and their transport, to high-gain fusion energy schemes, and to laboratory astrophysics.

Modeling the Stark broadening of spectral lines in plasmas is a complex problem. The problem has a long history, since it plays a crucial role in the interpretation of the observed spectral lines in laboratories and astrophysical plasmas. One difficulty is the characterization of the emitter’s environment. Although several models have been proposed over the years, there have been no systematic studies of the results, until now. Here, calculations from stochastic models and numerical simulations are compared for the Atoms 2014, 2 300 Lyman-α and -β lines in neutral hydrogen. Also discussed are results from the Helium-α and -β lines of Ar XVII.

We report experimental determination of plasma-induced Stark widths and shifts of the He II P $\alpha$ line and a comparison of the results with calculations performed by several computational approaches. The measurements were carried out in a small compressing plasma channel device, reaching electron densities in excess of ${10}^{18}{\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$ and temperatures of a few eV. The experimental data are in a good agreement with some previously published studies. However, the measured relation between the Stark shift and width could not be reproduced by either of the codes, and this disagreement is not yet resolved. This suggests the existence of an additional effect that is not accounted for in the present models and leads to a larger than expected Stark shift of the He II P $\alpha$ line.

Many spectroscopic diagnostics are routinely used as techniques to infer the plasma parameters from line emission spectra, but their accuracy depends on the numerical model or code used for the fitting process. However, the validation of a line shape code requires some steps: the comparison of the line shape code with other similar codes for some academic (simple) cases and then for more complex ones, the comparison of the fitting parameters obtained from the best fit of the experimental spectra with those obtained with other diagnostic techniques, and/or the comparison of the fitting parameters obtained by different codes to fit the same experimental data. Here we compare the profiles of the hydrogen Balmer β line in helium plasma computed by five codes for a selected set of plasma parameters and we report on the plasma parameters inferred by each of them from the fitting to a number of experimental spectra measured in a helium corona discharge where the pressure was in the range of 1–5 bars.

A method of analysis of experimental spectra for obtaining the plasma parameters is presented and discussed. Based on the coupling of the spectral line-shape code PPP with the genetic algorithm PIKAIA, the proposed method is inspired by natural selection mechanisms resulting in the development of basic genetic operators. The spectra analysis is performed by fitting experimental spectra with synthetic spectral line profiles obtained by using theoretical models and a set of plasma parameters, such as its temperature and electron density. In the present paper, the diagnostic procedure based on a genetic algorithm coupled with the PPP code has been used for the analysis of both hydrogen Balmer-β and He I 492.2 nm lines in the helium plasma created by corona discharge. The broadening of these spectral lines due to the Stark effect has been considered, together with the van der Waals and instrumental broadening.

The development of the fourth generation light sources based on the X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) opens new perspectives in the investigation of high-energy-density plasmas. The properties of these tunable X-ray laser sources permit to consider an active spectroscopy experiments to improve the understanding of hot and dense plasmas. In this work, we present prospective calculations of spectral line shapes and redistribution functions of the neon-like aluminum 1s2s²2p⁶nl − 1s²2s,²2p⁵nl, (n = 3, 4, 5,..) and 1s2s²2p⁶3l − 1s²2s²2p⁶ lines at 1490 eV and 1572 eV, respectively, for typical laser-plasma conditions. These calculations are based on a theoretical model for calculating the redistribution function in hot and dense plasmas. It relies on an extension of the Frequency Fluctuation of Model. This model takes into account the complexity of the atomic structure of ionic emitters and the various line broadening mechanisms including effects of the emitter environment fluctuations.