title: Direct spectroscopic observation of multiple-charged-ion acceleration by an intense femtosecond-pulse laser.
abstract: We have observed evidence of the emission of energetic He-and H-like ions of fluorine more than 1 MeV produced via the optical field ionization (OFI) from a solid target irradiated by an intense I=(2-4)x10(18) W/cm(2) (60 fs, lambda=800 nm), obliquely incident p-polarized pulse laser. The measured blue wing of He(alpha), He(beta), and Ly(alpha) lines of fluorine shows a feature of the Doppler-shifted spectrum due to the self-similar ion expansion dominated by superthermal electrons with the temperature T(h) approximately 100 keV. Using a collisional particle-in-cell simulation, which incorporates the nonlocal-thermodynamic-equilibrium ionization including OFI, we have obtained the plasma temperature, line shape, and maximal energy of accelerated ions, which agree well with those determined from the experimental spectra. The red wing of ion spectra gives the temperature of bulk plasma electrons.
authors.affiliation: Advance Photon Research Center, JAERI, 25-1 Mii-minami-cho, Neyagawa-shi, Osaka 572, Japan.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Zhidkov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auguste
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Olivera
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hulin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monot
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Faenov
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Pikuz
authors.forename: I Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Skobelev