Measurements of suprathermal electrons in hohlraum plasmas with x-ray spectroscopy

Nonthermal excitation of atomic states by suprathermal electrons was observed for the first time within inertial confinement fusion hohlraum plasmas. The nonthermal excitation process results in the simultaneous emission of the Ly-α transition and the K-shell satellite series (lithiumlike through carbonlike) which were observed on temporally resolved x-ray emission spectra. A quantitative analysis with a time-dependent collisional-radiative non-Maxwellian model shows that these spectra can be used to obtain temporally and spatially resolved measurements of the suprathermal electron fraction in indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion targets.