Explosions of large Xe clusters ( ~ 11,000) irradiated by femtosecond pulses of 850 eV x-ray photons focused to an intensity of up to 10(17) W/cm(2) from the Linac Coherent Light Source were investigated experimentally. Measurements of ion charge-state distributions and energy spectra exhibit strong evidence for the formation of a Xe nanoplasma in the intense x-ray pulse. This x-ray produced Xe nanoplasma is accompanied by a three-body recombination and hydrodynamic expansion. These experimental results appear to be consistent with a model in which a spherically exploding nanoplasma is formed inside the Xe cluster and where the plasma temperature is determined by photoionization heating.

High-intensity, extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) femtosecond interactions with large rare-gas clusters of xenon and argon have been studied at a wavelength of 38 nm. Pulses of XUV radiation with nJ energy are produced by high-order harmonic conversion from a 35-fs, near-infrared, terawatt laser. Mass resolved ion spectra show charge states up to Xe 8+ and Ar 4+ . Kinetic-energy measurements of ions and electrons indicate that a nanoplasma is formed and a hydrodynamic cluster explosion ensues after heating by the short wavelength pulse. It appears that the observed charge states and electron temperatures are consistent with sequential, single-photon ionization and collisional ionization of ions that have had their ionization potential depressed by plasma continuum lowering in the cluster nanoplasma.

Articles you may be interested inHigh-order harmonic generation during propagation of femtosecond pulses through the laserproduced plasmas of semiconductors J. Appl. Phys. 117, 023114 (2015) Abstract. The interactions of large xenon clusters irradiated by intense, femtosecond extremeultraviolet pulses at a wavelength of 38 nm have been studied. Using high harmonic generation from a 35 fs near-infrared terawatt laser, clusters have been irradiated by XUV pulses of 10 11 W/cm 2 intensity. Charge states up to Xe 8+ are observed, states well above that produced by single atom illumination, indicating that plasma continuum lowering is important. Furthermore the kinetic energy distribution of the exploding ions is consistent with a quasineutral hydrodynamic expansion, rather than a Coulomb explosion.

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The explosions of noble gas clusters from argon and xenon irradiated by intense 35-fs infrared laser pulses have been studied. The kinetic energy spectra of ions produced in small clusters (<700 atoms) show a two-mode shell structure that is attributed to originating from a radial charge distribution. With a simple classical particle simulation of Coulomb explosions, the energy structure was reproduced using information on the arrangement of charge in the cluster. It was found that, during the explosion, the inner atoms of the clusters were less ionized than the outer atoms.