title: A high-power laser-driven source of sub-nanosecond soft X-ray pulses for single-shot radiobiology experiments.
abstract: A large-scale, double-stream gas puff target has been illuminated by sub-kJ, near-infrared (NIR) focused laser pulses at the PALS facility (Prague Asterix Laser System) to produce high-energy pulses of soft X rays from hot, dense plasma. The double-puff arrangement ensures high gas density and conversion efficiency from NIR to X rays approaching that typical for solid targets. In addition, its major advantage over solid targets is that it is free of debris and has substantially suppressed charged-particle emission. The X-ray emission characteristics of the source were determined for a range of gases that included krypton, xenon, N(2), CO and N(2)-CO. A demonstrated application of the xenon-based source is a single-shot damage induction to plasmid DNA. The yields of single-strand breaks (SSBs) and double-strand breaks (DSBs) were determined as a function of energy fluence adjusted by varying distance of sample from the source and thickness of aluminum filters.
authors: Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 180 86, Prague 8, Czech Republic. davidkova@ujf.cas.cz
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Davídková
authors: Libor
authors: L
authors: Juha
authors: Michal
authors: M
authors: Bittner
authors: Sergey
authors: S
authors: Koptyaev
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Hájková
authors: Josef
authors: J
authors: Krása
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Pfeifer
authors: Viktorie
authors: V
authors: Stísová
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Bartnik
authors: Henryk
authors: H
authors: Fiedorowicz
authors: Janusz
authors: J
authors: Mikolajczyk
authors: Leszek
authors: L
authors: Ryc
authors: Ladislav
authors: L
authors: Pína
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Horváth
authors: Dagmar
authors: D
authors: Babánková
authors: Jaroslav
authors: J
authors: Cihelka
authors: Svatopluk
authors: S
authors: Civis
mesh_terms: D004249:DNA Damage / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011853:Radiobiology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012106:Research / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012107:Research Design; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014965:X-Rays