Measurements of the energy spectrum of electrons emanating from solid materials irradiated by a picosecond laser
Abstract
In this work, we present the results of experiments observing the properties of the electron stream generated laterally when a laser irradiates a metal. We find that the directionality of the electrons is dependent upon their energies, with the higher-energy tail of the spectrum (∼1 MeV and higher) being more narrowly focused. This behavior is likely due to the coupling of the electrons to the electric field of the laser. The experiments are performed by using the Titan laser to irradiate a metal wire, creating the electron stream of interest. These electrons propagate to nearby spectator wires of differing metals, causing them to fluoresce at their characteristic K-shell energies. This fluorescence is recorded by a crystal spectrometer. By varying the distances between the wires, we are able to probe the divergence of the electron stream, while by varying the medium through which the electrons propagate (and hence the energy-dependence of electron attenuation), we are able to probe the energy spectrum of the stream.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4917325
Entities
People
- A. G. R. Thomas
- A. M. Rasmus
- A. Mckelvey
- A. S. Joglekar
- B. Westover
- C. A. Di Stefano
- C. C. Kuranz
- C. M. Krauland
- G. E. Kemp
- Gerald Jackson Williams
- Haoze Chen
- J. F. Seely
- J. Peebles
- Jaeheung Park
- L. C. Jarrott
- Michael Macdonald
- N R Pereira
- P. A. Keiter
- R. Paul Drake
- S. R. Klein
- W. C. Wan
- Zhizhen Zhao
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
- United States Department of Energy
- University of California
- University of Michigan