XUV generation from plasma produced by a XeCl excimer laser on a Cu target

Summary We present a detailed study of XUV and soft X-ray emission from Cu plasma produced by an excimer laser at intensitiesI _L≦8·10¹¹ W/cm². The XeCl excimer laser (ψ≈308 nm) delivers pulses with energyE _L≈2.3 J, temporal durationt _L≈100 ns and brightnessB≧10¹⁴ W/cm² sr. We recorded a spectral conversion efficiency η=0.5% eV⁻¹ forI _L=4·10¹¹W/cm² in the aluminium window at 73eV with a harder X-ray tail around ≈400eV. We also measured the dependence of X-ray signal on laser intensity and viewing angle. Experimental results have been compared with some analytical laser-plasma interaction models.     

Particular features of the transmission of laser radiation with wavelength 0.438 µm and intensity (3–7)·1014 W/cm2 through an undercritical plasma from polymer aerogels

The velocities of energy transport in an undercritical plasma of polymer aerogel with and without copper nanoparticles were measured. Transmission of the laser light through targets of different thicknesses such as submicron three-dimensional polymer networks with densities below the critical value (0.13–0.52 N _cr) for a wavelength of 0.438 μm and intensity of (3–7)·10¹⁴ W/cm² at a half-height pulse duration of 0.32 ns was studied. The transfer of a heating laser radiation was registered on the rear side of the target. It ranged from a level of ∼0.5% for the thickness of a low-density layer of 400 μm and density of 9 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.36 mg/cm²) up to 50–60% for a thickness of 100 μm and density of 2.25 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.02 mg/cm²). The time dependences of the optical emission from the rear side of the targets were measured. They appear to be indicative of the plasma dynamics in two-layer targets (polymer foam on Al foil) and enable the estimation of the absorption depth for the laser light in an undercritical plasma. __________ Translated from Preprint No. 8 of the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow (2007).     

Parameters of the collisionally broadened <Emphasis Type="Italic">R22</Emphasis> absorption line of the 10<Superscript>0</Superscript>0–00<Superscript>0</Superscript>1 transition of the CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> molecule

A frequency stabilized, tuneable CO₂ laser is used to measure the unsaturated absorption coefficients of pure carbon dioxide gas at pressures of 1 and 100 Torr and temperatures of 296–700 K. The radiative transition probability and the temperature dependence of the collisional self-broadening coefficient are determined for the R22 absorption line of the 10⁰0-00⁰1 transition of the CO₂ molecule. The exponent on the temperature is found to depend on the method used to determine the collisional self-broadening coefficient.     

Dynamics of erosion plasma formation and formation of a plasma flame with a condensed disperse phase when quasi-continuous laser radiation acts on bismuth

The dynamics of near-surface plasma formation and the formation of an erosion plasma flame was investigated for quasi-continuous laser radiation (λ=1.06 μm, q=0.1–10 MW/cm², τ∼1.5 msec) acting on bismuth targets in air. The absence of low-threshold plasma formation at q<2 MW/cm² was established and explained. Instabilities in the plasma formation were revealed and the range of laser radiation power densities (2≤q≤4 MW/cm²) at which these instabilities take place was determined. At q≥5.4 MW/cm², brightening of the flame was noted. The dependence of the luminescence temperature of the flame on the laser radiation power density q was determined. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 126–133, January–February, 1998.     

Electron temperature (T e) measurements by Thomson scattering system

Thomson scattering technique based on high power laser has already proved its superoirity in measuring the electron temperature (T _e and density (n _e) in fusion plasma devices like tokamaks. The method is a direct and unambiguous one, widely used for the localised and simultaneous measurements of the above parameters. In Thomson scattering experiment, the light scattered by the plasma electrons is used for the measurements. The plasma electron temperature is measured from the Doppler shifted scattered spectrum and density from the total scattered intensity. A single point Thomson scattering system involving a Q-switched ruby laser and PMTs as the detector is deployed in ADITYA tokamak to give the plasma electron parameters. The system is capable of providing the parameters T _e from 30 eV to 1 keV and n _e from 5 × 10¹²cm⁻³−5 × 10¹³cm⁻³. The system is also able to give the parameter profile from the plasma center (Z=0 cm) to a vertical position of Z=+22 cm to Z=−14 cm, with a spatial resolution of 1 cm on shot to shot basis. This paper discusses the initial measurements of the plasma temperature from ADITYA.     

Interaction of tea CO2 laser light with plasma

High power double discharge type TEA CO₂ laser was used to study laser plasma interaction on carbon target plasma. The maximum output power was 0.3 GW and full width at half maximum intensity was 100 ns. We measured the reflectivity of the laser light at 10.6 μm in wavelength from the carbon plasma. The reflectivity showed a maximum (≈56%) at the laser power intensity of about 1.1 x 10¹⁰ W/cm², and at above this value, the reflectivity decreased. The absorption was introduced effectively above this intensity. The electron density and temperature were also measured.     

Femtosecond Fourier interferometry of a nonideal plasma

Experimental diagnostic methods based on the measurement of the reflectance of a plasma are considered. The application of Fourier interferometry for measuring the dynamics of variation of the amplitude and phase of the complex reflectance of the Au plasma for various delay times in intervals shorter than 1 ps relative to the pumping laser pulse with a femtosecond time resolution is described in detail in the intensity range ∼10¹³–10¹⁴ W/cm². The variation of the complex refractive index of the heated Au target for a pump pulse intensity of ∼10¹²–10¹³ W/cm² is analyzed on the basis of experimental data using the Fresnel formulas.     

A comparative study of the ionic keV X-ray line emission from plasma produced by the femtosecond,picosecond and nanosecond duration laser pulses

We report here an experimental study of the ionic keV X-ray line emission from magnesium plasma produced by laser pulses of three widely different pulse durations (FWHM) of 45 fs, 25 ps and 3 ns, at a constant laser fluence of ∼1.5 × 10⁴ J cm^− 2. It is observed that the X-ray yield of the resonance lines from the higher ionization states such as H- and He-like ions decreases on decreasing the laser pulse duration, even though the peak laser intensities of 3.5 × 10¹⁷ W cm^− 2 for the 45 fs pulses and 6.2 × 10¹⁴ W cm^− 2 for the 25 ps pulses are much higher than 5 × 10¹² W cm^− 2 for the 3 ns laser pulse. The results were explained in terms of the ionization equilibrium time for different ionization states in the heated plasma. The study can be useful to make optimum choice of the laser pulse duration to produce short pulse intense X-ray line emission from the plasma and to get the knowledge of the degree of ionization in the plasma.     

Effect of air pressure on the spatial and emission characteristics of an aluminum laser torch under subthreshold conditions of ablation

The spatial characteristic of an aluminum laser-induced plasma are studied at a laser radiation intensity of (3.8–4.8) × 10⁸ W/cm² and an air residual pressure of 6.7–133.3 Pa. It is found that the duration of the aluminum plasma glow is 50 μs and decreases with decreasing laser power output. The glow intensity reaches a maximum at t = 1.4 μs and rises with laser energy. Typical sizes of the emitting area on the laser torch are determined.     

Observation of ions with energies above 100 keV produced by the interaction of a 60-fs laser pulse with clusters

The x-ray spectra of a plasma generated by heating CO₂ and Ar clusters with high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses with q _las≃10¹⁸ W/cm² are investigated. Spatially resolved x-ray spectra of a cluster plasma are obtained for the first time. Photoionization absorption is observed to influence the spectral line profiles. The recorded features of the x-ray emission spectra definitely indicate the existence of a large relative number of excited ions (≃10⁻²–10⁻³) with energies of 0.1–1 MeV in such a plasma. Possible mechanisms underlying the acceleration of ions to high energies are discussed. It is shown that the experimental results can be attributed to the influence of ponderomotive forces in standing waves generated by the reflection of laser radiation from the clusters. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 2051–2066 (June 1999)     

Nonlinear Thomson scattering of an ultrashort laser pulse

The nonlinear scattering of an ultrashort laser pulse by free electrons is considered. The pulse is described in the “Mexican hat” wavelet basis. The equation of motion for a charged particle in the field of a plane electromagnetic wave has an exact solution allowing, together with the instant spectrum approximation, the calculation of the intensity of nonlinear Thomson scattering for a high-intensity laser pulse. The spectral distribution of scattered radiation for the entire pulse duration is found by integrating with respect to time. The maximum of the emission spectrum of a free electron calculated in 10¹⁹–10²¹ W/cm² fields lies in the UV spectral region between 3 and 12 eV. A part of the continuous spectrum achieves high photon energies. One percent of the scattered energy for the field intensity 10²⁰ W/cm² is concentrated in the range ħω > 2.7 × 10² eV, for a field intensity of 10²¹ W/cm² in the range ħΩ > 7.9 × 10² eV, and for an intensity of 10²² W/cm² in the range ħΩ > 2.45 × 10⁵ eV. These results allow us to estimate nonlinear scattering as a source of hard X-rays.     

Absorption and scattering of high-power laser radiation in low-density porous media

We have experimentally investigated the interaction of high-power neodymium laser pulses in the intensity range 10¹³–10¹⁴ W/cm² with flat low-density (0.5–10 mg/cm³) agar-agar targets under conditions of interest for problems of inertial nuclear fusion. Optical and x-ray methods with high temporal and spatial resolution were used to examine the dependence of absorption and scattering of the incident beam on the initial mean density and thickness of the irradiated samples. We show that when a porous target is irradiated, a bulk absorption layer of high-temperature plasma is produced inside the target whose dimensions are determined by the initial density of the material. The time dependence and spectral composition of the harmonics 2ω ₀ and 3ω ₀/2 observed in the plasma-scattered radiation are measured. A theoretical model is developed that describes the interaction of high-power laser pulses with a porous medium. Predictions of the model, based on the hypothesis of two stages of homogenization of the target material—a fast stage (0.1–0.3 ns) and a slow stage (1–3 ns), are in good agreement with the experimental data. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 805–818 (March 1999)     

高超声速飞行器高温流场对激光武器毁伤效应的影响

以美国ABL系统激光武器为例,分析了高超声速飞行器高温流场气体影响激光武器毁伤效应的一些主要因素,包括气体击穿、等离子体屏蔽效应、烧蚀产物颗粒的影响。结果表明:通常情况下,流场电子数密度小于1017cm-3,流场本身等离子体特性不会引起对激光的等离子体屏蔽效应;只有在0.5 km射程以内和宽脉冲激光引起的高压流场(约10 MPa以上)气体击穿,才会导致明显的等离子体屏蔽效应,但在实际战场条件下这种情况一般不会发生;对采用烧蚀手段进行防热的飞行器而言,飞行高度大于10 km,并且基于自由来流流量的无量纲化烧蚀流量小于10-2左右时,烧蚀产物颗粒不会引起激光的衰减。     

Small-size resonant photoacoustic cell with reduced window background for laser detection of gases

A photoacoustic resonant cell with the inner volume is ∼0.5 cm³ is presented. The shape of the cell cavity is chosen such as to minimize a background signal arising due to the absorption of laser beam in the cell windows. The experimental setup, the measurement procedure, and the design of the cell are described. The results of detecting ammonia in a nitrogen flow using the R(30) oscillating line of a CO₂ laser are represented. The minimal detectable absorption achieved in experiment is ∼3.2 × 10⁻⁸ cm⁻¹ W Hz^−1/2.     

Plasma heating by a strong laser field with statistically distributed parameters

Summary The energy absorption rate by a classical homogeneous plasma irradiated by a strong fluctuating laser field via inverse bremsstrahlung is considered. A chaotic-field model is used and comparison is made with the fundamental model of a purely coherent field. In the present analysis, the emphasis is put on the interplay between the laser field statistics and the plasma electron energy distribution. Numerical calculations are concerned with the dependence of the energy absorption rates on laser intensity and frequency. Laser intensity values up to 4.6\10¹⁵ W/cm² are considered. The multiphoton structure of the energy absorption is analysed as well. Concerning the joint influence of the radiation and particle statistics on the absorption rate, the basic result may be stated as follows. For situations where the particle thermal velocityv _T is larger than the oscillatory velocityv ₀ imparted by the field (v _T ≥v ₀, relatively weak field), the absorption rate is only weakly dependent on the field statistics. For situations, instead, whenv ₀≫v _T , which occurs for very high intensities, the reverse becomes true: now the initial particle velocity distribution plays the modest role of a velocity spread of an electron beam oscillating atv ₀. In general, for very high intensities (v ₀≫v _T ), the energy absorption via bremsstrahlung becomes less effective because the high oscillatory velocityv ₀ reduces the time available to electrons for the interaction with the ions, the third body which makes possible the exchange for energy between electrons and a radiation field. We report also, for the first time, results on the Marcuse effect for the case of a chaotic laser field, along with calculations of the absorption rate for a directed electron beam.     

Optical absorption in early stage low temperature laser produced plasma

We describe a new technique to measure the UV/visible absorption spectrum of the ablated material during the laser pulse. The technique utilizes the continuum emission from one laser produced plasma as a light source to measure the absorption properties of a second laser produced plasma which is formed on a semi-transparent target with an array of 40 μm holes. A 6 ns, 1064 nm laser was used to ablate a Ag target and the plasma absorption was measured in the range 450–625 nm for a laser fluence of 1 J cm⁻². The total absorption cross-section is (0.5–1.5)×10⁻¹⁷ cm² in the range 450–540 nm. By comparing the measured absorption with a calculation using the plasma spectroscopy code FLYCHK it can be concluded that, in the wavelength region examined here, the absorption is mainly due to bound-bound transitions.     

Formation of a plane layer of plasma under irradiation by a soft X-ray source

We investigate theoretically the formation of a plasma in a plane layer of polymer foam (density ρ = 0.002 g/cm³ and thickness 800 μm) under the action of an external source of soft X-ray radiation under the conditions of PHELIX experiments. The incident flux is assumed to have a Planck’s distribution over the spectrum with T _rad = 20–40 eV. In numerical calculations, the flux of incident X-ray radiation and the spectral constants of the target substance are varied. The action of an external X-ray radiation source on a low-density foam substance with a density of 2 mg/cm³ causes a plasma to be formed with relatively homogeneous profiles of density and temperature T = 15–35 eV. Absorption of externalradiation energy is distributed in the volume. The plasma temperature increases with increase in the external energy, and the energy passed through the plasma also increases. The results prove to be sensitive to the values of optical constants used in numeral simulation. The spectral flux of external radiation passed through the plasma is chosen as a criterion of correctness of the optical constants used in the calculations. In future experiments using the PHELIX facility, we plan to investigate the slowing-down of an ion beam in a plasma formed as a result of indirect heating of low-density polymer triacetate cellulose (TAC) foam with densities ρ = 0.001–0.01 g/cm³ under the action of a pulse of X-ray radiation, into which the laser radiation is preliminarily transformed.     

Formation of chemical compounds in a laser plasma

Using the methods of laser-induced fluorescence and emissive spectroscopy, we carried out investigations of the formation of TiO molecules in a laser plasma produced by focusing the radiation of an AYG:Nd³⁺ laser on the surface of a titanium target in air. The radiation flux density varied within the range 10⁸–10¹⁰ W/cm². We investigated the distribution of molecules over internal states and the space-time distributions of Ti atoms in the ground, metastable, and excited states, as well as of TiO molecules in the ground and excited states. We found that gas-phase reactions with participation of Ti atoms in the ground state provide the most probable channel for the formation of TiO molecules; the role of reagents in ionized, excited, and metastable states is of secondary importance. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 109–115, January–February, 1999.