Narrow band X-ray emission in the water-window spectral region from a laser heated gold copper mix-Z plasma

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2007-02, Vol.86 (3), p.519-522
• Main Authors: CHAKERA, J. A, KUMBHARE, S. R, NAIK, P. A, GUPTA, P. D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Beams (radiation); Exact sciences and technology; Foils; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Imaging; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Laser ablation; Laser-plasma interactions; Lasers; Optics; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma (physics); Plasma radiation; X- and γ-ray instruments and techniques; X- and γ-ray lasers; X- and γ-ray sources, mirrors, gratings and detectors; X-ray, gamma-ray and particle generation; X-rays
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-006-2533-2

A laser plasma X-ray source of narrow spectral range in the water-window region, is reported using a 50--50 (atomic fraction) mixture of gold-copper mix-Z planar target. Plasma was produced using the second harmonic beam of an Nd:glass laser focused to an intensity ~1013 W/cm2 on the target. The spectrum of the plasma radiation transmitted through a free-standing 0.4 Delta *mm aluminium/0.9 Delta *mm vanadium X-ray filter foil was measured to lie in the narrow-band of 24--26 A. This provides a debris-free X-ray dose of 2--3 mJ/sr which can be used for single shot X-ray imaging of live biological samples.