model calculations of XUV gain in rapidly expanding cylindrical plasmas

The earlier study of XUV gain from the transition between the n = 2 and n = 3 states of hydrogenic carbon ions is extended to describe more realistic initial conditions in which solid cylindrical fibres of carbon are heated by laser radiation. Scaling laws for the necessary laser parameters and optimal gain are described and shown to be in good agreement with computational modelling. The extension of these results to general ions of the hydrogenic isoelectronic sequence is discussed. (author)