Abstract
The interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with krypton clusters at intensity up to 1.3×1018 Wcm−2 has been investigated. Intense Kα and Kβ emission from krypton at 12.66 and 14.1 keV, respectively, has been observed using conventional solid state x-ray detectors. The measured x-ray spectra have broad bremsstrahlung continuum reaching to photon energies up to 45 keV, with evidence that approximately 10% of electrons that are heated to very high electron temperatures, which is consistent with a two-temperature electron distribution. This is ascribed to the presence of a hot electron population, similar to that found in laser-solid interactions. The highest laser energy to x-ray conversion efficiency observed is 9.2×10−7, which is equivalent to 45 nJ x-ray pulse energy from the 12.66 keV krypton Kα transition.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3491-3496 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Physics of Plasmas |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2004 |
Keywords
- krypton
- plasma production by laser
- plasma heating by laser
- atomic clusters
- plasma diagnostics
- bremsstrahlung
- X-ray emission spectra
- plasma temperature