Influence of pump pulse structure on a transient collisionally pumped Ni-like Ag x-ray laser

Results of numerical simulations on a Ni-like silver x-ray laser pumped by a single picosecond laser pulse are presented. Since the mechanisms responsible for the significant reduction in the pump energy are not well understood, the results of theoretical simulations with emphasis on the plasma kinetics and dynamics in a Ni-like Ag x-ray laser are presented and referred to the experimental data. Special attention has been paid to the influence of the pump pulse shape and length on the gain and its duration. It was found that a low-level pulse pedestal being an integral part of the leading edge of the pump pulse is very beneficial to the pump energy reduction. The thermal cooling process has been identified as the mechanism strongly contributing to gain termination if a low-energy single-profile laser pulse with the width of a few picoseconds is used in the pump process.