Time-resolved x-ray spectra from laser-generated high-density plasmas

We focused frequency doubled ultra short laser pulses on solid C, F, Na and Al targets. K-shell x-ray emission was systematically investigated by time resolved spectroscopy using a sub-ps streak camera A large number of laser shots can be accumulated when triggering the camera with an Auston switch system at very high temporal precision. The system provides an outstanding time resolution of 1.7ps accumulating thousands of laser shots. The time duration of the He-alpha K-shell resonance lines was observed in the range of (2-4)ps and shows a decrease with the atomic number. The experimental results are well reproduced by hydro code simulations post processed with an atomic kinetics code.