Atomic physics modeling of x-ray laser plasmas

We have developed collisional-radiative models to describe the kinetics of x-ray laser plasmas. Careful attention has been paid to indirect processes such as dielectronic recombination and excitation-autoionization. These models can be used for calculations of the ionization dynamics, gain coefficients, and detailed emission spectra. We will present results from ionization balance and gain calculations for neonlike and nickellike collisional lasing schemes, emphasizing the effects of different atomic physics processes and model approximations.