title: Heating of thin foils with a relativistic-intensity short-pulse laser.
abstract: K-shell x-ray spectroscopy of sub-100 nm Al foils irradiated by high contrast, spatially uniform, 150 fs, Ilambda (2)=2 x 10(18) W microm(2)/cm(2), laser pulses is obtained with 500 fs time resolution. Two distinct phases occur: At </=500 fs a broad feature comparable to the resonance transitions occurs due to satellites, and at >/=500 fs the resonance transitions dominate. Initial satellites arise from a large area, high density, low temperature (approximately 100 eV) plasma created by fast electrons. Thus, contrary to predictions, a short, high intensity laser incident on a thin foil does not create a uniform, hot dense plasma.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses (LULI), UMR 7605, CNRS-CEA, Université Paris VI-Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Audebert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peyrusse
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein