S. Mazevet

http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.92.014105

fig1 — Electronic temperature Te extracted from the K-edge slope as a function of the temperature T. Symbols are similar to Fig. 2: (triangles) measurements, (circles) QMD calculations, and (squares) FD calculations. T is set to the value deduced from optical diagnostics (experiment) and to the calculation input values, respectively. Te and T are normalized to the Fermi energy EF estimated from the FEG model.

The use of the x-ray absorption K-edge slope is investigated as a model-free diagnostic of the electronic temperature in warm dense matter. Data are reported for aluminum in a wide domain of densities (approximately one to three times the solid density) and temperatures (∼0.1–10eV). Measurements are obtained from laser-sock co
mpression where both temperature and density are independently determined from optical diagnostics. They are compared with two different theoretical approaches, respectively, based on quantum molecular dynamics and multiple scattering. Extrapolation for other absorption edges and materials is discussed.