  Many astrophysical environments such as X-ray binaries, active galactic
nuclei, and accretion disks of compact objects have photoionized plasmas. The
strong photoionizing environment found near these bright X-ray sources can be
produced in a scaled laboratory experiment, and direct measurements can form a
testbed for spectroscopic models and photoionization codes used in analysis of
these astrophysical objects. Such scaled experiments are currently being
conducted using Ne filled gas cells on the Z-facility as part of the Z
Astrophysical Plasma Properties (ZAPP) collaboration. The plasma is diagnosed
using a pressure sensor for density and X-ray absorption spectroscopy for
charge-state distribution. The electron temperature is presently inferred from
a Li-like ion level population ratio, but it is necessary to obtain an
independent temperature measurement, as photoionization alters the charge state
distribution and can therefore cause errors in temperatures obtained via line
ratio techniques. Optical Thomson scattering is a fitting diagnostic because it
directly probes the distribution of plasma particle velocities with respect to
a central probe frequency. It is a powerful diagnostic which can produce time
and space resolved measurements of electron temperature, as well as, electron
density, ion temperature, and average ionization. In this paper, we explore a
possible design for an optical Thomson scattering system to supplement X-ray
spectroscopic measurements. The proposed design will use equipment that is
available on Z, though not yet assembled. Both the feasibility and impact of
this new diagnostic are assessed by simulating expected spectra for a range of
plasma parameters, thereby demonstrating the sensitivity of this diagnostic.
