Soft X-Ray Laser Interferometry of Colliding Laser-Created Semi-Cylindrical Cavities

摘要

A table-top capillary discharge soft x-ray laser was used to acquire high contrast interferograms that map the evolution of dense aluminum plasmas created by laser irradiation of a 500 Em diameter semi-cylindrical cavity with 120 ps optical laser pulses of 1.1 - 1012 Wcm- 2 peak intensity. The measured electron density maps, that were compared with simulations, show that the plasma converges on axis, where it collides to form a localized region with density exceeding 1 1020 cm-3.