Observations of continuum depression in warm dense matter with x-ray Thomson scattering.
Detailed measurements of the electron densities, temperatures, and ionization states of compressed CH shells approaching pressures of 50 Mbar are achieved with spectrally resolved x-ray scattering. Laser-produced 9 keV x-rays probe the plasma during the transient state of three-shock coalescence. High signal-to-noise x-ray scattering spectra show direct evidence of continuum depression in highly degenerate warm dense matter states with electron densities ne>1024  cm-3. The measured densities and temperatures agree well with radiation-hydrodynamic modeling when accounting for continuum lowering in calculations that employ detailed configuration accounting.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, MS 72 Menlo Park, California 94025, USA and Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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Fletcher
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Kritcher
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Pak
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Ma
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Döppner
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Fortmann
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Divol
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Jones
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Landen
L-399, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
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Scott
Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik Komplexer Systeme, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
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Vorberger
Plasma Physics Group, AWE plc, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom and Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
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Chapman
Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
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Gericke
Physics Department, University of Washington, P.O. Box 351560, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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Mattern
Physics Department, University of Washington, P.O. Box 351560, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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Seidler
University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
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Gregori
Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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Falcone
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, MS 72 Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
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Glenzer