THE EFFECT OF AN AMBIENT RADIATION-FIELD ON THE STATE OF IONIZATION IN A LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA

The effect of an ambient black-body radiation field on the state of ionization of open L- and M-shell ions in a plasma is investigated for radiation fields characteristic of laser-irradiated hohlraums. It is found that for densities of 0.001 g cm(-3) the ionization is dominated by the radiation field over a wide range of electron temperatures. Although the effect of the radiation field is still evident at higher densities (0.1 g cm(-3)) the increased collision rates make its effect less pronounced, especially at the higher electron temperatures considered.