title: Bright betatronlike x rays from radiation pressure acceleration of a mass-limited foil target.
abstract: By using multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we study the electromagnetic emission from radiation pressure acceleration of ultrathin mass-limited foils. When a circularly polarized laser pulse irradiates the foil, the laser radiation pressure pushes the foil forward as a whole. The outer wings of the pulse continue to propagate and act as a natural undulator. Electrons move together with ions longitudinally but oscillate around the latter transversely, forming a self-organized helical electron bunch. When the electron oscillation frequency coincides with the laser frequency as witnessed by the electron, betatronlike resonance occurs. The emitted x rays by the resonant electrons have high brightness, short durations, and broad band ranges which may have diverse applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China and State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China and Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Tong-Pu
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pukhov
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China and Institut für Laser-und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Gennady
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shvets
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017357:Cyclotrons; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D004583:Electrons; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D005740:Gases