Heating of thin foils with a relativistic-intensity short-pulse laser.
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.
Audebert
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Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses (LULI), UMR 7605, CNRS-CEA, Université Paris VI-Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
Shepherd
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Fournier
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Peyrusse
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Price
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Lee
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Springer
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Gauthier
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Klein
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