Directed x-rays produced in the interaction of sub-picosecond laser pulses of moderate relativistic intensity with plasma of near-critical density are investigated. Synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation occurs in the ...Directed x-rays produced in the interaction of sub-picosecond laser pulses of moderate relativistic intensity with plasma of near-critical density are investigated. Synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation occurs in the process of direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in a relativisticlaser channel when the electrons undergo transverse betatron oscillations in self-generated quasi-static electric and magnetic fields. In anexperiment at the PHELIX laser system, high-current directed beams of DLA electrons with a mean energy ten times higher than the ponderomotive potential and maximum energy up to 100 MeV were measured at 10^(19) W/cm^(2)laser intensity. The spectrum of directed x-raysin the range of 5–60 keV was evaluated using two sets of Ross filters placed at 0°and 10°to the laser pulse propagation axis. The differential x-ray absorption method allowed for absolute measurements of the angular-dependent photon fluence. We report 10^(13) photons/sr withenergies >5 keV measured at 0°to the laser axis and a brilliance of 10^(21) photons s^(−1) mm^(−2) mrad−2(0.1%BW)−1. The angular distributionof the emission has an FWHM of 14°–16°. Thanks to the ultra-high photon fluence, point-like radiation source, and ultra-short emissiontime, DLA-based keV backlighters are promising for various applications in high-energy-density research with kilojoule petawatt-class laserfacilities.展开更多
基金supported by the Czech Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports(Project No.CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/18_053/0016980)the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic(Grant No.GM23-05027M).
文摘Directed x-rays produced in the interaction of sub-picosecond laser pulses of moderate relativistic intensity with plasma of near-critical density are investigated. Synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation occurs in the process of direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in a relativisticlaser channel when the electrons undergo transverse betatron oscillations in self-generated quasi-static electric and magnetic fields. In anexperiment at the PHELIX laser system, high-current directed beams of DLA electrons with a mean energy ten times higher than the ponderomotive potential and maximum energy up to 100 MeV were measured at 10^(19) W/cm^(2)laser intensity. The spectrum of directed x-raysin the range of 5–60 keV was evaluated using two sets of Ross filters placed at 0°and 10°to the laser pulse propagation axis. The differential x-ray absorption method allowed for absolute measurements of the angular-dependent photon fluence. We report 10^(13) photons/sr withenergies >5 keV measured at 0°to the laser axis and a brilliance of 10^(21) photons s^(−1) mm^(−2) mrad−2(0.1%BW)−1. The angular distributionof the emission has an FWHM of 14°–16°. Thanks to the ultra-high photon fluence, point-like radiation source, and ultra-short emissiontime, DLA-based keV backlighters are promising for various applications in high-energy-density research with kilojoule petawatt-class laserfacilities.