Two-photon absorption framework for plasma transmission experiments

Abstract Two-photon absorption was recently proposed as a possible explanation for extant discrepancies between theoretical and experimental x-ray transmission of iron samples at conditions relevant to the solar interior. The theoretical framework for calculating two-photon absorption specific to the experiments performed at the Sandia National Laboratory is developed. Preliminary calculations suggest that the radiant flux attenuation by two-photon absorption does not account for the higher than predicted experimentally inferred opacities.