X-UV Index of Refraction of Dense and Hot Plasmas

Abstract

In a dense and hot plasma the refractive index in the X-UV range takes into account not only the effect of free electrons, but also the effect of electrons bound by atoms. The refractive index is calculated by the Kramer-Kronig relations using the total opacity of the medium including bound-bound, free-bound, and free-free atomic transitions. A simple method of calculation of the emission and absorption coefficients is presented. These parameters are of great interest when one wants to study radiative transfer in a dense and hot material. The computer program used allows one to obtain either in LTE or in NLTE the values of these coefficients for every material and for a wide range of mass density and temperature, using a screened hydrogenic model. Applications are presented first to generate opacity tables and second to generate the index of refraction of aluminum for a wide range of mass density and temperature.