Effect of plastic coating on the density of plasma formed in Si foil targets irradiated by ultra-high-contrast relativistic laser pulses

The formation of high energy density matter occurs in inertial confinement fusion, astrophysical, and geophysical systems. In this context, it is important to couple as much energy as possible into a target while maintaining high density. A recent experimental campaign, using buried layer (or "sandwich" type) targets and the ultrahigh laser contrast Vulcan petawatt laser facility, resulted in 500 Mbar pressures in solid density plasmas (which corresponds to about 4.6×10^{7}J/cm^{3} energy density). The densities and temperatures of the generated plasma were measured based on the analysis of x-ray spectral line profiles and relative intensities.

Effect of Small Focus on Electron Heating and Proton Acceleration in Ultrarelativistic Laser-Solid Interactions

Acceleration of particles from the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses up to 5×10^{21}  W cm^{-2} with thin foils is investigated experimentally. The electron beam parameters varied with decreasing spot size, not just laser intensity, resulting in reduced temperatures and divergence. In particular, the temperature saturated due to insufficient acceleration length in the tightly focused spot. These dependencies affected the sheath-accelerated protons, which showed poorer spot-size scaling than widely used scaling laws. It is therefore shown that maximizing laser intensity by using very small foci has reducing returns for some applications.

Scintillator-based transverse proton beam profiler for laser-plasma ion sources

A high repetition rate scintillator-based transverse beam profile diagnostic for laser-plasma accelerated proton beams has been designed and commissioned. The proton beam profiler uses differential filtering to provide coarse energy resolution and a flexible design to allow optimisation for expected beam energy range and trade-off between spatial and energy resolution depending on the application. A plastic scintillator detector, imaged with a standard 12-bit scientific camera, allows data to be taken at a high repetition rate. An algorithm encompassing the scintillator non-linearity is described to estimate the proton spectrum at different spatial locations.

Using X-ray spectroscopy of relativistic laser plasma interaction to reveal parametric decay instabilities: a modeling tool for astrophysics

By analyzing profiles of experimental x-ray spectral lines of Si XIV and Al XIII, we found that both Langmuir and ion acoustic waves developed in plasmas produced via irradiation of thin Si foils by relativistic laser pulses (intensities ~10²¹ W/cm²). We prove that these waves are due to the parametric decay instability (PDI). This is the first time that the PDI-induced ion acoustic turbulence was discovered by the x-ray spectroscopy in laser-produced plasmas. These conclusions are also supported by PIC simulations. Our results can be used for laboratory modeling of physical processes in astrophysical objects and a better understanding of intense laser-plasma interactions.

Plasma scale-length effects on electron energy spectra in high-irradiance laser plasmas

An analysis of an electron spectrometer used to characterize fast electrons generated by ultraintense (10^{20}Wcm^{-2}) laser interaction with a preformed plasma of scale length measured by shadowgraphy is presented. The effects of fringing magnetic fields on the electron spectral measurements and the accuracy of density scale-length measurements are evaluated. 2D EPOCH PIC code simulations are found to be in agreement with measurements of the electron energy spectra showing that laser filamentation in plasma preformed by a prepulse is important with longer plasma scale lengths (>8 μm).

Nonlinear increase of X-ray intensities from thin foils irradiated with a 200 TW femtosecond laser

We report, for the first time, that the energy of femtosecond optical laser pulses, E, with relativistic intensities I > 10(21)  W/cm(2) is efficiently converted to X-ray radiation, which is emitted by "hot" electron component in collision-less processes and heats the solid density plasma periphery. As shown by direct high-resolution spectroscopic measurements X-ray radiation from plasma periphery exhibits unusual non-linear growth ~E(4-5) of its power. The non-linear power growth occurs far earlier than the known regime when the radiation reaction dominates particle motion (RDR). Nevertheless, the radiation is shown to dominate the kinetics of the plasma periphery, changing in this regime (now labeled RDKR) the physical picture of the laser plasma interaction. Although in the experiments reported here we demonstrated by observation of KK hollow ions that X-ray intensities in the keV range exceeds ~10(17)  W/cm(2), there is no theoretical limit of the radiation power. Therefore, such powerful X-ray sources can produce and probe exotic material states with high densities and multiple inner-shell electron excitations even for higher Z elements. Femtosecond laser-produced plasmas may thus provide unique ultra-bright X-ray sources, for future studies of matter in extreme conditions, material science studies, and radiography of biological systems.

Laboratory formation of a scaled protostellar jet by coaligned poloidal magnetic field

Although bipolar jets are seen emerging from a wide variety of astrophysical systems, the issue of their formation and morphology beyond their launching is still under study. Our scaled laboratory experiments, representative of young stellar object outflows, reveal that stable and narrow collimation of the entire flow can result from the presence of a poloidal magnetic field whose strength is consistent with observations. The laboratory plasma becomes focused with an interior cavity. This gives rise to a standing conical shock from which the jet emerges. Following simulations of the process at the full astrophysical scale, we conclude that it can also explain recently discovered x-ray emission features observed in low-density regions at the base of protostellar jets, such as the well-studied jet HH 154.

Mie scattering from submicron-sized CO2 clusters formed in a supersonic expansion of a gas mixture

A detailed mathematical model is presented for a submicron-sized cluster formation in a binary gas mixture flowing through a three-staged conical nozzle. By measuring the angular distribution of light scattered from the clusters, the size of CO(2) clusters, produced in a supersonic expansion of the mixture gas of CO(2)(30%)/H(2)(70%) or CO(2)(10%)/He(90%), has been evaluated using the Mie scattering method. The mean sizes of CO(2) clusters are estimated to be 0.28 ± 0.03 μm for CO(2)/H(2) and 0.26 ± 0.04 μm for CO(2)/He, respectively. In addition, total gas density profiles in radial direction of the gas jet, measuring the phase shift of the light passing through the target by utilizing an interferometer, are found to be agreed with the numerical modeling within a factor of two. The dryness (= monomer/(monomer + cluster) ratio) in the targets is found to support the numerical modeling. The apparatus developed to evaluate the cluster-gas targets proved that our mathematical model of cluster formation is reliable enough for the binary gas mixture.

Exotic dense-matter states pumped by a relativistic laser plasma in the radiation-dominated regime

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.

Spatially resolved analysis of Kα x-ray emission from plasmas induced by a femtosecond weakly relativistic laser pulse at various polarizations

Spatially resolved K-shell spectroscopy is used here to investigate the interaction of an ultrashort laser pulse (λ=800 nm, τ=40 fs) with a Ti foil under intense irradiation (Iλ(2)=2×10(18)Wμm(2)cm(-2)) and the following fast electron generation and transport into the target. The effect of laser pulse polarization (p, s, and circular) on the Kα yield and line shape is probed. The radial structure of intensity and width of the lines, obtained by a discretized Abel deconvolution algorithm, suggests an annular distribution of both the hot electron propagation into the target and the target temperature. An accurate modeling of Kα line shapes was performed, revealing temperature gradients, going from a few eV up to 15-20 eV, depending on the pulse polarization. Results are discussed in terms of mechanisms of hot electron generation and of their transport through the preplasma in front of the target.

Soft-x-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes

We demonstrate a new high-order harmonic generation mechanism reaching the "water window" spectral region in experiments with multiterawatt femtosecond lasers irradiating gas jets. A few hundred harmonic orders are resolved, giving μJ/sr pulses. Harmonics are collectively emitted by an oscillating electron spike formed at the joint of the boundaries of a cavity and bow wave created by a relativistically self-focusing laser in underdense plasma. The spike sharpness and stability are explained by catastrophe theory. The mechanism is corroborated by particle-in-cell simulations.

5.5-7.5 MeV proton generation by a moderate-intensity ultrashort-pulse laser interaction with H2O nanowire targets

We report on the first generation of 5.5-7.5 MeV protons by a moderate-intensity short-pulse laser (∼5×10(17)  W/cm(2), 40 fsec) interacting with frozen H(2)O nanometer-size structure droplets (snow nanowires) deposited on a sapphire substrate. In this setup, the laser intensity is locally enhanced by the snow nanowire, leading to high spatial gradients. Accordingly, the nanoplasma is subject to enhanced ponderomotive potential, and confined charge separation is obtained. Electrostatic fields of extremely high intensities are produced over the short scale length, and protons are accelerated to MeV-level energies.

Enhancement of photon number reflected by the relativistic flying mirror

Laser light reflection by a relativistically moving electron density modulation (flying mirror) in a wake wave generated in a plasma by a high intensity laser pulse is investigated experimentally. A counterpropagating laser pulse is reflected and upshifted in frequency with a multiplication factor of 37-66, corresponding to the extreme ultraviolet wavelength. The demonstrated flying mirror reflectivity (from 3 x 10(-6) to 2 x 10(-5), and from 1.3 x 10(-4) to 0.6 x 10(-3), for the photon number and pulse energy, respectively) is close to the theoretical estimate for the parameters of the experiment.

Wide-field-of-view phase-contrast imaging of nanostructures with a comparatively large polychromatic soft x-ray plasma source

Polychromatic soft x-ray plasma sources were not previously considered to be among the sources suitable for the propagation based phase contrast imaging because of their comparatively large emission-zone size. In the current work a scheme based on the combination of soft x-ray emission of multicharged ions, generated by the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with an ultrasonic jet of gas clusters, and an LiF crystal detector was used to obtain phase-enhanced high-resolution images of micro- and nanoscale objects in a wide field of view.

Energy increase in multi-MeV ion acceleration in the interaction of a short pulse laser with a cluster-gas target

An approach for accelerating ions, with the use of a cluster-gas target and an ultrashort pulse laser of 150-mJ energy and 40-fs duration, is presented. Ions with energy 10-20 MeV per nucleon having a small divergence (full angle) of 3.4 degrees are generated in the forward direction, corresponding to approximately tenfold increase in the ion energies compared to previous experiments using solid targets. It is inferred from a particle-in-cell simulation that the high energy ions are generated at the rear side of the target due to the formation of a strong dipole vortex structure in subcritical density plasmas.

Submicrometer-resolution in situ imaging of the focus pattern of a soft x-ray laser by color center formation in LiF crystal

We demonstrate high quality, single-shot in situ imaging of the focused Ag x-ray laser (XRL) at 13.9 nm with 700 nm spatial resolution by color center formation in LiF. The flux and intensity for the color center formation in LiF are evaluated from the experimental data. Comparisons with previous reports show that the threshold x-ray flux for the color center formation in LiF for the 13.9 nm, 7 ps Ag XRL is 3 orders of magnitude less than that with the 46.9 nm, 2 ns capillary discharge Ar XRL.

Supersonic-jet experiments using a high-energy laser

In this Letter, laboratory astrophysical jet experiments performed with the LULI2000 laser facility are presented. High speed plasma jets (150 km.s(-1)) are generated using foam-filled cone targets. Accurate experimental characterization of the plasma jet is performed by measuring its time evolution and exploring various target parameters. Key jet parameters such as propagation and radial velocities, temperature, and density are obtained. For the first time, the required dimensionless quantities are experimentally determined on a single-shot basis. Although the jets evolve in vacuum, most of the scaling parameters are relevant to astrophysical conditions.

Direct observation of strong ion coupling in laser-driven shock-compressed targets

In this Letter we report on a near collective x-ray scattering experiment on shock-compressed targets. A highly coupled Al plasma was generated and probed by spectrally resolving an x-ray source forward scattered by the sample. A significant reduction in the intensity of the elastic scatter was observed, which we attribute to the formation of an incipient long-range order. This speculation is confirmed by x-ray scattering calculations accounting for both electron degeneracy and strong coupling effects. Measurements from rear side visible diagnostics are consistent with the plasma parameters inferred from x-ray scattering data. These results give the experimental evidence of the strongly coupled ionic dynamics in dense plasmas.

X-ray spectroscopy of 1 cm plasma channels produced by self-guided pulse propagation in elongated cluster jets

We diagnose the self-channeled propagation of intense femtosecond pulses over an extended distance in a N2O cluster gas target using high resolution kilovolt x-ray pinhole images of the channel and spatially resolved x-ray spectra. The x-ray images are consistent with femtosecond optical scattering, shadowgraphy, and interferometry images. We observe extended plasma channels (approximately 9 mm) limited either by the cluster jet length or by absorption, for injected laser intensities in the range of 10(16)-10(17) W/cm2. Spectral line shapes for the OVII 1s2-1s3p and OVIII 1s-2p transitions (at 1.8627 and 1.8969 nm, respectively) show significant broadening to the blue side and with truncated emission on the red side. We attribute this effect to Doppler blueshifted emission from fast ions from exploding clusters moving toward the spectrometer; redshifted emission from the opposite side of the cluster is absorbed.

Spectroscopic characterization of an ultrashort-pulse-laser-driven Ar cluster target incorporating both Boltzmann and particle-in-cell models

A model that solves simultaneously both the electron and atomic kinetics was used to generate a synthetic He alpha and satellite x-ray spectra to characterize a high intensity ultrashort laser driven Ar cluster target experiment. In particular, level populations were obtained from a detailed collisional-radiative model where collisional rates were computed from a time varying electron distribution function obtained from the solution of the zero-dimensional Boltzmann equation. In addition, a particle-in-cell simulation was used to model the laser interaction with the cluster target and provided the initial electron energy distribution function (EEDF) for the Boltzmann solver. This study suggests that a high density average, <Na>high, of 3.2 x 10(20) cm(-3) was held by the system for a time, delta tau, of 5.7 ps, and during this time the plasma was in a highly nonequilibrium state in both the EEDF and the ion level populations.

Temperature determination using Kalpha spectra from M -shell Ti ions

The compact multipulse terawatt (COMET) laser facility at LLNL was used to irradiate Al-coated 2-50 microm Ti foils with approximately 10(19) W cm(-2) , 500 fs, 3-6 J laser pulses. Laser-plasma interactions on the front side of the target generate hot electrons with sufficient energy to excite inner-shell electrons in Ti, creating Kalpha emission which has been measured using a focusing spectrometer with spatial resolution aimed at the back surface of the targets. The spatial extent of the emission varies with target thickness. The high spectral resolution (lambda/Deltalambda approximately equal to 3800) is sufficient to measure broadening of the Kalpha emission feature due to the emergence of blueshifted satellites from ionized Ti in a heated region of the target. A self-consistent-field model is used to spectroscopically diagnose thermal electron temperatures up to 40 eV in the strongly coupled Ti plasmas.

Measurement of 2l-nl' x-ray transitions from approximately 1 microm Kr clusters irradiated by high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses

X-ray line emission from 2l-nl' transitions in Ne-like Kr and nearby ions has been observed from approximately 1 microm Kr clusters irradiated by fs-scale laser pulses at the JAERI facility in Kyoto, Japan. The incident laser intensity reached 10(19) W/cm2, with pulse energies from 50 to 300 mJ and pulse durations from 30 to 500 fs. The dependence of the x-ray spectral features and intensity on the incident laser intensity is rather weak, indicating that the 1-2 ps cluster lifetimes limit the number of ions beyond Ne-like Kr that can be produced by collisional ionization. Lines from F- to Al-like Kr emitted from the cluster plasmas have been identified using data from the relativistic multiconfiguration flexible atomic code. A collisional-radiative model based on these data has been constructed and used to determine that the cluster plasma has electron densities near 10(22) cm(-3), temperatures of a few hundred eV, and hot electron fractions of a few percent.

Analysis of high- n dielectronic Rydberg satellites in the spectra of Na -like Zn XX and Mg -like Zn XIX

We have observed spectra from highly charged zinc ions in a variety of laser-produced plasmas. Spectral features that are Na - and Mg -like satellites to high- n Rydberg transitions in the Ne -like Zn XXI spectrum are analyzed and modeled. Identifications and analysis are made by comparison with highly accurate atomic structure calculations and steady state collisional-radiative models. Each observed Zn XX and Zn XIX feature comprises up to approximately 2 dozen individual transitions, these transitions are excited principally by dielectronic recombination through autoionizing levels in Na - and Mg -like Zn19+ and Zn18+. We find these satellites to be ubiquitous in laser-produced plasmas formed by lasers with pulse lengths that span four orders of magnitude, from 1 ps to approximately 10 ns. The diagnostic potential of these Rydberg satellite lines is demonstrated.

Influence of optical thickness and hot electrons on Rydberg spectra of Ne-like and F-like copper ions

Spectra in the 7.10 to 8.60 A range from highly charged copper ions are observed from three different laser-produced plasmas (LPPs). The LPPs are formed by a 15-ns Nd:glass laser pulse (type I: E(pulse)=1-8 J, lambda=1.064 microm), a 1-ps Nd:glass laser pulse (type II: E(pulse)=1 J, lambda=1.055 microm), and a 60-fs Ti:sapphire laser pulse (type III: E(pulse)=800 mJ, lambda=790 nm). The spectra of high-n (n<or=14) transitions in highly charged copper ions, Cu19+ to Cu21+, are recorded with a high energy resolution (lambda/deltalambda=3000-8000) spectrometer using a spherically bent mica or quartz crystal. Collisional-radiative models are computed for the emission from each plasma. The sensitivity of the model spectra to opacity effects and to populations of superthermal electrons is studied. For the type I LPPs, opacity effects, treated with escape factors, are necessary to get the correct relative intensities of high-n (n=5, 6) Ne-like Cu19+ emission features. In the case of the type II LPPs, the contrast between the laser prepulse and the main pulse has been varied from low, I(main)/I(pp)=7 x 10(4), to high, I(main)/I(pp)=3.8 x 10(7). For plasmas from low contrast shots, we find good agreement between the observed spectra and optically thin simulations with bulk electron temperatures T(bulk)=0.4 keV and a small population of superthermal electrons (T(hot)=5.0 keV) that is f(hot)<or=10(-5) of the bulk electron population. For high-contrast type II LPPs, we find higher densities and a combination of f(hot) approximately 10(-5) and escape factors best describes the data. For the type III 60-fs LPPs, a population of superthermal electrons (T(hot) approximately 5 keV) that is approximately 5 x 10(-5) of the bulk electron population (T(bulk) approximately 0.2 keV) is required to reproduce the observed spectra. The effect of both escape factors and hot electrons in the CR models is to increase the ionization balance and dramatically increase the number of strong lines for each ion considered. We have studied both opacity effects and hot-electron influence on high-n transitions of highly charged Ne-, F-, and O-like ions.

Charge-exchange-induced two-electron satellite transitions from autoionizing levels in dense plasmas

Order-of-magnitude anomalously high intensities for two-electron (dielectronic) satellite transitions, originating from the He-like 2s(2) 1S0 and Li-like 1s2s(2) (2)S(1/2) autoionizing states of silicon, have been observed in dense laser-produced plasmas at different laboratories. Spatially resolved, high-resolution spectra and plasma images show that these effects are correlated with an intense emission of the He-like 1s3p 1P-1s(2) 1S lines, as well as the K(alpha) lines. A time-dependent, collisional-radiative model, allowing for non-Maxwellian electron-energy distributions, has been developed for the determination of the relevant nonequilibrium level populations of the silicon ions, and a detailed analysis of the experimental data has been carried out. Taking into account electron density and temperature variations, plasma optical-depth effects, and hot-electron distributions, the spectral simulations are found to be not in agreement with the observations. We propose that highly stripped target ions (e.g., bare nuclei or H-like 1s ground-state ions) are transported into the dense, cold plasma (predominantly consisting of L- and M-shell ions) near the target surface and undergo single- and double-electron charge-transfer processes. The spectral simulations indicate that, in dense and optically thick plasmas, these charge-transfer processes may lead to an enhancement of the intensities of the two-electron transitions by up to a factor of 10 relative to those of the other emission lines, in agreement with the spectral observations.

Hot-electron influence on L-shell spectra of multicharged Kr ions generated in clusters irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses

Strong L-shell x-ray emission has been obtained from Kr clusters formed in gas jets and irradiated by 60-500-fs laser pulses. Spectral lines from the F-, Ne- Na-, and Mg-like charge states of Kr have been identified from highly resolved x-ray spectra. Spectral line intensities are used in conjunction with a detailed time-dependent collisional-radiative model to diagnose the electron distribution functions of plasmas formed in various gas jet nozzles with various laser pulse durations. It is shown that L-shell spectra formed by relatively long nanosecond-laser pulses can be well described by a steady-state model without hot electrons when opacity effects are included. In contrast, adequate modeling of L-shell spectra from highly transient and inhomogeneous femtosecond-laser plasmas requires including the influence of hot electrons. It is shown that femtosecond-laser interaction with gas jets from conical nozzles produces plasmas with higher ionization balances than plasmas formed by gas jets from Laval nozzles, in agreement with previous work for femtosecond laser interaction with Ar clusters.

Spatially resolved x-ray spectroscopy investigation of femtosecond laser irradiated Ar clusters

High temperature plasmas have been created by irradiating Ar clusters with high intensity 60-fs laser pulses. Detailed spectroscopic analysis of spatially resolved, high resolution x-ray data near the He(alpha) line of Ar is consistent with a two-temperature collisional-radiative model incorporating the effects of highly energetic electrons. The results of the spectral analysis are compared with a theoretical hydrodynamic model of cluster production, as well as interferometric data. The plasma parameters are notably uniform over one Rayleigh length (600 microm).

Direct spectroscopic observation of multiple-charged-ion acceleration by an intense femtosecond-pulse laser

We have observed evidence of the emission of energetic He-and H-like ions of fluorine more than 1 MeV produced via the optical field ionization (OFI) from a solid target irradiated by an intense I=(2-4)x10(18) W/cm(2) (60 fs, lambda=800 nm), obliquely incident p-polarized pulse laser. The measured blue wing of He(alpha), He(beta), and Ly(alpha) lines of fluorine shows a feature of the Doppler-shifted spectrum due to the self-similar ion expansion dominated by superthermal electrons with the temperature T(h) approximately 100 keV. Using a collisional particle-in-cell simulation, which incorporates the nonlocal-thermodynamic-equilibrium ionization including OFI, we have obtained the plasma temperature, line shape, and maximal energy of accelerated ions, which agree well with those determined from the experimental spectra. The red wing of ion spectra gives the temperature of bulk plasma electrons.

Bragg x-ray optics for imaging spectroscopy of plasma microsources

Bragg x-ray optics based on crystals with transmission and reflection properties bent on cylindrical or spherical surfaces are discussed. Applications of such optics for obtaining one- and two-dimensional monochromatic images of different plasma sources in the wide spectral range 1-20 Å are described. Samples of spectra obtained with spectral resolution of up to λ/Δλ ~ 10,000 and spatial resolution of up to 18 μm are presented.