Nickel-Like Samarium 4d-4p X-Ray Laser Gain in Laser Plasmas

Populations of the 249 levels belonging to the ground configuration 3s²3p⁶3d¹⁰ and those of single excitations of a 3d, 3p or 3s electron to the orbitals of n=4 and 5 have been calculated for nickel-like samarium at temperatures from 300 to 1600eV and at densities from 10²⁰ to 10²²cm^-3. The gain coefficients for possible x-ray laser lines are also determined under these plasma conditions. The possible laser lines are transitions from levels (3d^-1_3/24d_3/2)₀ and (3d^-1_5/24d_5/2)₀ to levels (3d^-1_3/24p_1/2)₁, (3d^-1_5/24p_3/2)₁ and (3d^-1_3/24p_3/2)₁. The favourable plasma condition for x-ray lasers is at the temperature of about 800eV and at the density of approximately 5.0×10²¹cm^-3.