Time-Resolved Continuum-Edge-Shift Measurements in Laser-Shocked Solids

Abstract

The first measurements of the shift in position of the photoabsorption edge in a laser-heated and shocked solid material are reported. A buried tracer layer is first radiatively heated to a few electron-volts leading to the appearance of bound-bound transitions near to the $K$ photoabsorption edge. Then as the shock runs through, the $K$ edge shifts to lower energy ionizing the bound-bound transitions, in agreement with theory.