Betatron Radiation and Bremsstrahlung in the Interaction of Intense Laser Pulse with Solid Target

Abstract

X-ray generation via synchrotron radiation and bremsstrahlung in the interaction of short laser pulses with a solid target is of much current interest owing to its numerous applications. The efficiency of laser to X-ray energy conversion is thus a crucial factor. We found that the energy conversion efficiency of synchrotron radiation and bremsstrahlung is mainly governed by the ratio of the laser pulse width to the preplasma width, which is in turn governed by the laser profile, intensity, and spot size. Synchrotron radiation dominates when the ratio is less than unity, otherwise bremsstrahlung dominates. The type of radiation can thus be controlled by tailoring the laser parameters.

Keywords

• laser–plasma interaction
• X-ray generation
• particle-in-cell simulation