Powerful laser-plasma processes are explored to generate discharge currents of a few 100 kA in coil targets, yielding magnetostatic fields (B-fields) in excess of 0.5 kT. The quasi-static currents are provided from hot electron ejection from the laser-irradiated surface. According to our model, describing qualitatively the evolution of the discharge current, the major control parameter is the laser irradiance I las λ 2 las . The space-time evolution of the B-fields is experimentally characterized by high-frequency bandwidth B-dot probes and by proton-deflectometry measurements. The magnetic pulses, of ns-scale, are long enough to magnetize secondary targets through resistive diffusion. We applied it in experiments of laser-generated relativistic electron transport into solid dielectric targets, yielding an unprecedented 5-fold enhancement of the energy-density flux at 60 µm depth, compared to unmagnetized transport conditions. These studies pave the ground for magnetized high-energy density physics investigations, related to laser-generated secondary sources of radiation and/or high-energy particles and their transport, to high-gain fusion energy schemes and to laboratory astrophysics.

A very fast method to account for charged particle dynamics effects in calculations of spectral line shape emitted by plasmas is presented. This method is based on a formulation of the frequency fluctuation model (FFM), which provides an expression of the dynamic line shape as a functional of the static distribution of frequencies. Thus, the main numerical work rests on the calculation of the quasistatic Stark profile. This method for taking into account ion dynamics allows a very fast and accurate calculation of Stark broadening of atomic hydrogen high- n series emission lines. It is not limited to hydrogen spectra. Results on helium- beta and Lyman- alpha lines emitted by argon in microballoon implosion experiment conditions compared with experimental data and simulation results are also presented. The present approach reduces the computer time by more than 2 orders of magnitude as compared with the original FFM with an improvement of the calculation precision, and it opens broad possibilities for its application in spectral line-shape codes.

Stark broadening of hydrogen lines in the presence of a magnetic field is revisited, with emphasis on the role of the ion component under typical conditions of magnetized fusion devices. An impact theory for ions valid at low density ͑N e Շ 10 14 cm −3 ͒ and taking into account the Zeeman degeneracy removal of the atomic states is developed. It is shown that the Stark widths of the Lorentz triplet components strongly depend on the magnetic field. The model is validated by a computer simulation method. For the lateral components of Ly␣, we show that the impact approximation still holds for densities as high as N e ϳ 10 15 cm −3 . In contrast, for the central component as well as for the other lines from low principal quantum number, significant discrepancies between the proposed theory and the simulation results appear at high density. Application to D␣ in tokamak divertor plasma conditions shows that, in this case, the quasistatic approximation becomes more relevant.

Measurements of line profiles of the hydrogen Hα transition from a well diagnosed gas-liner pinch are reported. The discharge is diagnosed using Thomson scattering and simultaneous spectroscopic measurements are performed giving the plasma parameters 0.5×1018 cm-3⩽ne⩽2.5×1018 cm-3 and 6 eV⩽kBTe⩽10.5 eV. The Stark width and shift are determined and compared to a selected set of experimental and theoretical data. The difference between the present results and former data, which were measured with the same device, is critically discussed.