X-ray free-electron laser studies of dense plasmas

The high peak brightness of X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs), coupled with X-ray optics enabling the focusing of pulses down to sub-micron spot sizes, provides an attractive route to generating high energy-density systems on femtosecond time scales, via the isochoric heating of solid samples. Once...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of plasma physics Vol. 81; no. 5
Main Author Vinko, Sam M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2015
Subjects
Charged particles
Culham Thesis Prize Winners
Dense plasmas
Free electron lasers
Heating
Lasers
Optics
Plasma physics
Plasmas (physics)
Temperature
X ray optics
X-rays
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Summary:The high peak brightness of X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs), coupled with X-ray optics enabling the focusing of pulses down to sub-micron spot sizes, provides an attractive route to generating high energy-density systems on femtosecond time scales, via the isochoric heating of solid samples. Once created, the fundamental properties of these plasmas can be studied with unprecedented accuracy and control, providing essential experimental data needed to test and benchmark commonly used theoretical models and assumptions in the study of matter in extreme conditions, as well as to develop new predictive capabilities. Current advances in isochoric heating and spectroscopic plasma studies on X-ray FELs are reviewed and future research directions and opportunities discussed.
ISSN:0022-3778
1469-7807
DOI:10.1017/S0022377815000902