A High-Power Laser-Driven Source of Sub-nanosecond Soft X-Ray Pulses for Single-Shot Radiobiology Experiments

Abstract

A large-scale, double-stream gas puff target has been illuminated by sub-kJ, near-infrared (NIR) focused laser pulses at the PALS facility (Prague Asterix Laser System) to produce high-energy pulses of soft X rays from hot, dense plasma. The double-puff arrangement ensures high gas density and conversion efficiency from NIR to X rays approaching that typical for solid targets. In addition, its major advantage over solid targets is that it is free of debris and has substantially suppressed charged-particle emission. The X-ray emission characteristics of the source were determined for a range of gases that included krypton, xenon, N(2), CO and N(2)-CO. A demonstrated application of the xenon-based source is a single-shot damage induction to plasmid DNA. The yields of single-strand breaks (SSBs) and double-strand breaks (DSBs) were determined as a function of energy fluence adjusted by varying distance of sample from the source and thickness of aluminum filters.

Biological Action in and out of the Water Window

“…This might be possibly explained by selective absorption on nucleobases which leads to less strand breaks formation. CDL Ne-like Ar [7] 26.4 1.5 7.8 209.4 PALS Ne-like Zn [8] 58.5 0.5 0.1 2.5 PALS Ar plasma [5] 453 ¦ 0. …”

“…It is the successive experiment to the study performed earlier at Laserix [4] and PALS [5] facilities with picosecond (sub-nanosecond) pulses and using the gas puff target and table-top capillary-discharge laser (CDL) systems [6,7] delivering nanosecond pulses pulses.…”

Development of a compact laser-produced plasma soft X-ray source for radiobiology experiments

“…The effect was consistent with the data obtained by conventional approaches. The use of SXR in the range of approximately 1.13-4.77 keV photon energies in a single pulse from a laser-produced plasma source driven with a highpulsed-power laser facility -PALS, Czech Republic, irradiating xenon gas puff target to induce DNA single strand breaks (SSB) in plasmid DNA, has been demonstrated [18]. The laser plasma X-ray source that was used in the experiments described by Davíd-ková et al has been presented in the article published in 2004 [19].…”

“…Opposite to the source described by Davídková et al [18], that was a single-shot X-ray source driven by a high-power laser, the source described here represents a compact, handy device. The present article reports on the development, characterization and initial radiobiology application of the laboratory LPP-SXR source.…”

Optimum Pump Pulse Duration for X-Ray Ar-Plasma Lasing

“…Alternatively, gas targets have several advantages over solid targets, such as the soft density gradients, lack of debris, high repetition rate and long unbroken operation [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. For the first time, the generation of laser radiation with Ar 0 gas at a wavelength of 46.9 nm producing a gain of 0.6 cm −1 was observed in a capillary discharge by Rocca et al [11].…”