Spectroscopic Analysis of K- and L-Shell Radiation from Gas-Puff Jet Experiments on the UNR Leopard Laser*

The study of cluster formation in gas-puff jet experiments and the x-ray emission from them under fs and ns laser impulses is of interest as there are many applications in physics (x-ray backlighting, lithography, high-harmonic generation, etc.) We present spectroscopic analysis of K- and L-shell radiation from Ar and Kr gas-puff jet experiments performed on the high-power Leopard Laser at UNR. To enhance our theoretical understanding of this radiation, and to help with identification of spectral lines, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) kinetic models of Ar and Kr have been developed. Approximate temperature and density parameters have been identified in experiments with pure Kr, pure Ar, and Kr/Ar mixtures. Further work is discussed.