Investigation of soft X-ray emission from a gas puff target irradiated with a Nd : YAG laser

Experiments investigating soft X-ray emission in the 1-22 nm wavelength ran ge from plasmas produced using a gas puff target irradiated with a Nd:YAG l aser are described. Gas puff targets were created by pulsed injection of hi gh-density gas through a nozzle. The use of the gas puff targets eliminates the production of debris associated with solid targets. Laser pulses of ei ther 0.9 ns or 10 ns time duration with energies up to 0.7 J were used to p roduce plasmas. X-ray emissions from laser-produced gas puff plasmas were c haracterized for various gases. The spectral measurements of the soft X-ray emission were performed with the use of grating spectrographs equipped wit h the back-illuminated CCD camera. The source size was measured using the F resnel zone plate imaging system and the grating spectrograph equipped with a slit placed perpendicularly to the dispersion direction. The obtained re sults would allow to develop an efficient and debrisless laser-produced X-r ay source to be useful for applications in various fields. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.