Opacity Measurements in a Hot Dense Medium

Measurements of the opacity of aluminum in a well characterized, hot, dense, laser produced plasma are reported. Measurements of the absorption of X-rays by 1 to 2 transitions in Al XII through Al VIII have been made in a laser-heated slab plasma at the measured temperature and density of 58 ^ 4e V and 0.020 ^ 0.007 g cm~3. Separate measurements of the temperature and density were made. The con- ditions in the plasma were determined to be reproducible, spatially uniform, and in nearly complete local thermodynamic equilibrium. The absorption spectra and the temperature-density data obtained provide an improved means for comparison with detailed atomic physics and opacity calculations. Subject headings: atomic datamethods: laboratoryplasmasX-rays: general