Detailed calculations of the radiative properties of a planar, laser-driven Al hohlraum are presented. It is found that the spatial symmetry of some of the x-ray lines exceeds that of the continuum, which is related to their ability to scatter the line photons with only a weak temperature dependence. This beneficial self-symmetrizing property of such a hohlraum contrasts with its poor x-ray conversion efficiency. Mixing several elements of low atomic number is likely to improve the efficiency.

• Received 14 July 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.3190