Requirements

• Collect light from the experiment with spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions.
• Enable light collections within a broad spectral range (visible, UV, Vacuum UV, x-UV, x-ray).
• Maximize the light collection efficiency.

Methodology

• Use of different light collection systems - mirrors, lenses, beamsplitters, polarizers, optical fibers.
• The light is dispersed using gratings (visible, UV, VUV), crystals (x-ray), or Ross filters (x-ray).
• The light is detected using: photomultipliers or with time dispersers (streak cameras) coupled to CCD cameras.

Capabilities

• Measurements of atomic and ionic spectral line emission from the x-ray to near IR wavelength range.
• Application of polarization-dependent spectroscopy.
• Determination of the non-equilibrium plasma conditions.
• Measurement of the electromagnetic fields.

Advantages

• Non-intrusive measurements.
• High spatial and temporal resolutions.
• High spectral resolution and flexible spectral selectivity.

Applications in our laboratory

• Experimental studies of the density, temperature and velocity distributions of atoms and ions including the charge-state distributions of different ions.
• Investigations of electric and magnetic fields inside the plasma and their interaction with the non-equilibrium plasma.
• Study of the onset of turbulence in current-carrying plasmas.
• Study the physics of dense plasmas and their interaction with radiation.