Coherence-based transverse measurement of synchrotron x-ray radiation from relativistic laser-plasma interaction and laser-accelerated electrons

R. C. Shah (1) , F. Albert (1) , Kim Ta Phuoc (1) , O. Shevchenko (1) , Davide Boschetto (1) , A. Pukhov (2) , S. Kiselev (2) , Frédéric Burgy (1) , Jean-Philippe Rousseau (1) , Antoine Rousse (1)

1 LOA - Laboratoire d'optique appliquée
2 Institut für Theoretische Physik I

We observe Fresnel edge diffraction of the x-ray beam generated by the relativistic interaction of a high-intensity laser pulse with He gas. The observed diffraction at center energy 4.5 keV agrees with Gaussian incoherent source profile of full-width-half-maximum (FWHM)<8 μm. Analysis indicates this corresponds to an upper limit on the transverse profile of laser-accelerated electrons within the plasma in agreement with three-dimensional, particle-in-cell results (FWHM=4 μm).

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

R. C. Shah, F. Albert, Kim Ta Phuoc, O. Shevchenko, Davide Boschetto, et al.. Coherence-based transverse measurement of synchrotron x-ray radiation from relativistic laser-plasma interaction and laser-accelerated electrons. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2006, 74 (4), pp.045401. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.74.045401⟩. ⟨hal-00521891⟩