title: Time-resolved explosion of intense-laser-heated clusters.
abstract: We investigate the femtosecond explosive dynamics of intense laser-heated argon clusters by measuring the cluster complex transient polarizability. The time evolution of the polarizability is characteristic of competition in the optical response between supercritical and subcritical density regions of the expanding cluster. The results are consistent with time-resolved Rayleigh scattering measurements, and bear out the predictions of a recent laser-cluster interaction model [H. M. Milchberg, S. J. McNaught, and E. Parra, Phys. Rev. E 64, 056402 (2001)]].
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alexeev
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Milchberg