Radiation efficiency of water-window Cherenkov sources using atomic-shell resonances

摘要

A simple evaluation of the yield of Cherenkov radiation generated by relativistic electrons in the vicinity of atomic-shell resonances located in the water window x-ray domain is developed and applied to all the promising elements, including L-shell resonances explored recently by Knulst et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4050 (2003)], and K-shell resonance in liquid nitrogen proposed here. Our theoretical results compare favorably with experimental data. The feasibility of a related Cherenkov laser is also studied.