Monte Carlo Radiation Transport Simulation of Nonthermal X-ray Fluorescence in a MagLIF Plasma

Nonthermal radiation is essential for the characterization of high-energy-density plasma environments, wherein production and transport mechanisms driving this radiation are often complex and characterized by non-LTE conditions. These processes can be studied using computational methods like Monte Carlo random walk techniques, which are effective in simulating deterministic particle interaction through randomization and probabilistic selection. In this work, radiation transport is simulated in a laboratory MagLIF plasma using a newly constructed Monte Carlo Radiation Transport code. The code simulates a central T­_e ~ 4 keV, r ~100 μm thermal core which irradiates the surrounding r ~ 500 μm liner medium (Be & 114 ppm Fe). Atomic processes are calculated using a newly developed screened-hydrogenic atomic code. Characteristics such as Fe <Z>, average T­_e, and K- and L-shell yields are tracked and calculated. Simulation includes radial temperature distribution fueled by deposition of nonthermal and thermal core photons, emergent transmission spectrum with escaped nonthermal Fe Kα & Kβ intensities, and spatial statistics of their production, revealing a dense region of production ~150 mm from the thermal core. Comparison of simulated Fe fluorescence to experimental data is provided.