title: Nonequilibrium electron dynamics in materials driven by high-intensity x-ray pulses.
abstract: We calculated the evolution of the electron system in solid-density matter irradiated by high-intensity x-ray pulses between 2 and 8 keV using molecular dynamics. For pulses shorter than 40 fs, the kinetic energy distribution of the electrons is highly nonthermal during and right after the pulse, and a large fraction of the absorbed x-ray energy resides with the fast photoelectrons which equilibrate on the timescale of the pulse length. The average ionization and electron temperature of the bulk of the electrons are significantly lower than their equilibrium values.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA. hauriege1@llnl.gov
authors.forename: Stefan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hau-Riege
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004583:Electrons; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases