Generation of X-rays and energetic ions from superintense laser irradiation of micron-sized Ar clusters

Fukuda, Yuji; Akahane, Yutaka; Aoyama, Makoto; Inoue, Norihiro*; Ueda, Hideki; Kishimoto, Yasuaki; Yamakawa, Koichi; Faenov, A. Y.*; Magunov, A. I.*; Pikuz, T. A.*; Skobelev, I. Y.*; Abdallah, J. Jr.*; Csanak, G.*; Boldarev, A. S.*; Gasilov, V. A.*

High resolution K-shell spectra of a plasma created by superintense laser irradiation of micron-sized Ar clusters have been measured with an intensity above 10 W/cm and a pulse duration of 30 fs. The total photon flux of 210 photons/pulse was achieved for He resonant line of Ar (=3.9491 AA , 3.14 keV). In parallel with X-ray measurements, energy distributions of emitted ions have been measured. The multiply-charged ions with kinetic energies up to 800 keV were observed. It is found that hot electrons produced by high contrast laser pulses allow the isochoric heating of clusters and shift the ion balance towards the higher charge states, which enhances both the X-ray line yield of the He-like argon ion and the ion kinetic energy.