title: Space- and time-resolved density measurements of a high-intensity laser-produced plasma for x-ray laser studies.
abstract: We present a detailed study on the spatiotemporal density evolution of a plasma created by optical-field ionization of a high-pressure pulsed gas jet by a 10-TW, 60-fs Ti:sapphire laser. The plasma dynamics has been studied on a 17-ns time scale with a 60-fs time resolution and a 5-microm space resolution using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The density profile and the plasma radial expansion were accurately measured for conditions relevant to x-ray laser schemes in H-like nitrogen which were recently proposed [S. Hulin et al., Phys. Rev. E 61, 5693 (2000)]. The results were reproduced well by hydrocode simulations that allowed to infer the plasma temperature.
authors: Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, DSM/DRECAM/SPAM, C.E. Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cédex, France.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Dobosz
authors: P
authors: P
authors: D'Oliveira
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hulin
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Monot
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Réau
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Auguste