title: Exotic dense-matter states pumped by a relativistic laser plasma in the radiation-dominated regime.
abstract: In high-spectral resolution experiments with the petawatt Vulcan laser, strong x-ray radiation of KK hollow atoms (atoms without n = 1 electrons) from thin Al foils was observed at pulse intensities of 3 × 10(20) W/cm(2). The observations of spectra from these exotic states of matter are supported by detailed kinetics calculations, and are consistent with a picture in which an intense polychromatic x-ray field, formed from Thomson scattering and bremsstrahlung in the electrostatic fields at the target surface, drives the KK hollow atom production. We estimate that this x-ray field has an intensity of >5 × 10(18) W/cm(2) and is in the 3 keV range.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colgan
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia and Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: A Ya
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Faenov
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pikuz
authors.affiliation: York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wagenaars
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Culfa
authors.affiliation: York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 ONG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Helmholtzinstitut Jena, Fröbelstieg 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaempfer
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 ONG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.affiliation: York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rossall
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia.
authors.forename: I Yu
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Skobelev
authors.affiliation: Helmholtzinstitut Jena, Fröbelstieg 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Helmholtzinstitut Jena, Fröbelstieg 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany and Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronic, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien Platz 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uschmann
authors.affiliation: PPC Osaka University and JST, CREST, 2-1, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Zhidkov
authors.affiliation: York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Woolsey