Intense charge exchange of laser-plasma ions with the atoms of a pulsed gas jet

The results of experiments on the interaction of a laser plasma with a pulsed gas jet are presented. The charge exchange of ions with neutral particles was realised for the first time under controllable conditions for a density of the reagents of no less than 10¹⁶ cm^-3. The resonance pumping of the C³⁺ ion level with n = 3 was observed by spectral methods. The structure of the region of intense charge exchange was determined from plasma photographs. The data obtained suggest that experiments on soft X-ray lasing at a C⁵⁺ ion transition are promising.