Hard x-ray emission from intense short pulse laser plasmas

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Abstract
Hard x‐ray emission in the range of 100 keV has been measured from plasmas produced by irradiation of solid targets with ps laser pulses up to 7×1017 W/cm2. The experimental data obtained for oblique incidence of p‐polarized laser light at different illumination angles are compared to computer calculations, which include the processes of resonance absorption and vacuum heating. The scaling of hard x‐ray emission with varying laser flux is consistent with the theoretical model of bremsstrahlung emission of hot electrons. From this, together with an absolute radiation dose measured with calibrated detectors, a transfer of up to 50% of the incident laser energy to suprathermal (∼10...100 keV) electrons is estimated.