Tunable sub-luminal propagation of narrowband x-ray pulses

Group velocity control is demonstrated for x-ray photons of 14.4 keV energy via a direct measurement of the temporal delay imposed on spectrally narrow x-ray pulses. Sub-luminal light propagation is achieved by inducing a steep positive linear dispersion in the optical response of ${}^{57}$Fe M\"ossbauer nuclei embedded in a thin film planar x-ray cavity. The direct detection of the temporal pulse delay is enabled by generating frequency-tunable spectrally narrow x-ray pulses from broadband pulsed synchrotron radiation. Our theoretical model is in good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Exotic dense-matter states pumped by a relativistic laser plasma in the radiation-dominated regime

In high-spectral resolution experiments with the petawatt Vulcan laser, strong x-ray radiation of KK hollow atoms (atoms without n = 1 electrons) from thin Al foils was observed at pulse intensities of 3 x 10(20) W/cm(2). The observations of spectra from these exotic states of matter are supported by detailed kinetics calculations, and are consistent with a picture in which an intense polychromatic x-ray field, formed from Thomson scattering and bremsstrahlung in the electrostatic fields at the target surface, drives the KK hollow atom production. We estimate that this x-ray field has an intensity of >5 x 10(18) W/cm(2) and is in the 3 keV range

Testing quantum electrodynamics in extreme fields using helium-like uranium

Funding Information: The results presented here are based on the experiment E125, which is performed at the infrastructure ESR at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, in the framework of FAIR Phase-0 and SPARC collaboration. This work is supported by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of the European Union and grant agreement no. 6544002. We acknowledge the support provided by ErUM FSP T05-‘Aufbau von APPA bei FAIR’ (BMBF nos. 05P19SJFAA and 05P21SJFA1). We thank A. Malyshev, V. Shabaev and Y. Kozhedub for providing previously unknown theoretical results and also for the discussions on theoretical uncertainties. M.T. thanks the ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for their support for the stays at the GSI for the preparation and data acquisition. L.D. acknowledges funding support from the Initiative Physique des Infinis (IPI), a research training programme of the Idex SUPER at Sorbonne Université. Funding Information: The results presented here are based on the experiment E125, which is performed at the infrastructure ESR at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, in the framework of FAIR Phase-0 and SPARC collaboration. This work is supported by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of the European Union and grant agreement no. 6544002. We acknowledge the support provided by ErUM FSP T05-‘Aufbau von APPA bei FAIR’ (BMBF nos. 05P19SJFAA and 05P21SJFA1). We thank A. Malyshev, V. Shabaev and Y. Kozhedub for providing previously unknown theoretical results and also for the discussions on theoretical uncertainties. M.T. thanks the ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for their support for the stays at the GSI for the preparation and data acquisition. L.D. acknowledges funding support from the Initiative Physique des Infinis (IPI), a research training programme of the Idex SUPER at Sorbonne Université. Publisher Copyright: © 2024, The Author(s).Quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum field theory that describes the interaction between light and matter, is commonly regarded as the best-tested quantum theory in modern physics. However, this claim is mostly based on extremely precise studies performed in the domain of relatively low field strengths and light atoms and ions 1–6. In the realm of very strong electromagnetic fields such as in the heaviest highly charged ions (with nuclear charge Z ≫ 1), QED calculations enter a qualitatively different, non-perturbative regime. Yet, the corresponding experimental studies are very challenging, and theoretical predictions are only partially tested. Here we present an experiment sensitive to higher-order QED effects and electron–electron interactions in the high-Z regime. This is achieved by using a multi-reference method based on Doppler-tuned X-ray emission from stored relativistic uranium ions with different charge states. The energy of the 1s 1/22p 3/2 J = 2 → 1s 1/22s 1/2 J = 1 intrashell transition in the heaviest two-electron ion (U90+) is obtained with an accuracy of 37 ppm. Furthermore, a comparison of uranium ions with different numbers of bound electrons enables us to disentangle and to test separately the one-electron higher-order QED effects and the bound electron–electron interaction terms without the uncertainty related to the nuclear radius. Moreover, our experimental result can discriminate between several state-of-the-art theoretical approaches and provides an important benchmark for calculations in the strong-field domain.publishersversionpublishe

Novel method for characterizing relativistic electron beams in a harsh laser-plasma environment

Particle pulses generated by laser-plasma interaction are characterized by ultrashort duration, high particle density, and sometimes a very strong accompanying electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Therefore, beam diagnostics different from those known from classical particle accelerators such as synchrotrons or linacs are required. Easy to use single-shot techniques are favored, which must be insensitive towards the EMP and associated stray light of all frequencies, taking into account the comparably low repetition rates and which, at the same time, allow for usage in very space-limited environments. Various measurement techniques are discussed here, and a space-saving method to determine several important properties of laser-generated electron bunches simultaneously is presented. The method is based on experimental results of electron-sensitive imaging plate stacks and combines these with Monte Carlo-type ray-tracing calculations, yielding a comprehensive picture of the properties of particle beams. The total charge, the energy spectrum, and the divergence can be derived simultaneously for a single bunch

Thomson Scattering at FLASH - Status Report

The basic idea is to implement Thomson scattering with free electron laser (FEL) radiation at near-solid density plasmas as a diagnostic method which allows the determination of plasma temperatures and densities in the warm dense matter (WDM) regime (free electron density of n{sub e} = 10{sup 21}-10{sup 26} cm{sup -3} with temperatures of several eV). The WDM regime [1] at near-solid density (n{sub e} = 10{sup 21}-10{sup 22} cm{sup -3}) is of special interest because, it is where the transition from an ideal plasma to a degenerate, strongly coupled plasma occurs. A systematic understanding of this largely unknown WDM domain is crucial for the modeling and understanding of contemporary plasma experiments, like laser shock-wave or Z-pinch experiments as well as for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as the plasma evolution follows its path through this domain

Experimental investigation of fast electron transport through Kα imaging and spectroscopy in relativistic laser-solid interactions

Abstract The study of the basic physical processes underlying the generation of fast electrons during the interaction of high-intensity short laser pulses with solid materials and the transport of these fast electrons through the target material are of great importance for the fast ignition concept for inertial confinement fusion and for the development of ultra-short X-ray sources. We report on the experimental investigation of fast electron transport phenomena by means of the spatial and spectral characterization of the X-ray emission from layered targets using bent crystal spectrometers and a new diagnostic technique based on a pinhole-camera equipped with a CCD detector working in single-photon regime for multi-spectral X-ray imaging The experiments were carried out at relativistic laser intensities, both in the longer (≃ps) pulse interaction regime relevant for fast ignition studie

Erstes Tagewerk

ERSTES TAGEWERK Goethe's Faust (-) Erstes Tagewerk (1.1876) ([1]r) Cover ( - ) Text ([1]r