title: Large spectral blue shifts in intense laser irradiation of microdroplets.
abstract: When methanol microdroplets of 15 mum size are irradiated by intense femtosecond laser pulses of moderate intensities (<2x10(16)W cm(-2)), we observe a 'red-light flash' from the microplasma. We report on the presence of a large 'blue shoulder' (that extends to about 200 nm from the incident laser wavelength) in the scattered spectra that corresponds to the red-light flash. A prepulse is found to be essential for producing the large blue shift, which is attributed to the rapid subsequent ionization of a near-critical density preplasma when the main pulse is incident.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gibbon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy