Simultaneous measurements of hard X rays and second-harmonic emission in fs laser-target interactions

The interaction of 150 fs laser pulses with very thin plastic targets at an intensity of 5 X 10(17) W/cm(2) was investigated experimentally. Second-harmonic (SH) radiation was found to be emitted only in the specular direction. Both SH intensity and hard x-ray yield were found to be strongly dependent upon the laser polarization. The main features of SH emission are in agreement with a theoretical model which assumes resonance absorption as the source mechanism of electron plasma waves. Measurements suggest that, in conditions of maximum energy absorption, wave breaking of resonantly excited electron plasma waves takes place

Vacuum laser acceleration of relativistic electrons using plasma mirror injectors

International audienceAccelerating particles to relativistic energies over very short distances using lasers has been a long-standing goal in physics. Among the various schemes proposed for electrons, vacuum laser acceleration has attracted considerable interest and has been extensively studied theoretically because of its appealing simplicity: electrons interact with an intense laser field in vacuum and can be continuously accelerated, provided they remain at a given phase of the field until they escape the laser beam. But demonstrating this effect experimentally has proved extremely challenging, as it imposes stringent requirements on the conditions of injection of electrons in the laser field. Here, we solve this long-standing experimental problem by using a plasma mirror to inject electrons in an ultraintense laser field, and obtain clear evidence of vacuum laser acceleration. With the advent of petawatt lasers, this scheme could provide a competitive source of very high charge (nC) and ultrashort relativistic electron beams

Characterization of Human Late Outgrowth Endothelial Progenitor-Derived Cells under Various Flow Conditions.

Background: Endothelial progenitor-derived cells (EPC) are a cell therapy tool in peripheral arterial disease and for re-endothelialization of bypasses and stents. Objective: To assess EPC behavior under flow conditions normally found in vivo. Results: EPC were isolated from human cord blood, cultured on compliant tubes and exposed in an in vitro flow system mimicking hemodynamic environments normally found in medium and large arteries. EPC exposed for 24 h to unidirectional (0.3 ± 0.1 or 6 ± 3 dynes/cm(2)) shear stress oriented along flow direction, while those exposed to bidirectional shear stress (0.3 ± 3 dynes/cm(2)) or static conditions had random orientation. Under bidirectional flow, tissue factor (TF) activity and mRNA expression were significantly increased (2.5- and 7.0-fold) compared to static conditions. Under low shear unidirectional flow TF mRNA increased 4.9 ± 0.5-fold. Similar flow-induced increases were observed for TF in mature umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells. Expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase (u-PA) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1) were reduced by 40-60% in late outgrowth endothelial progenitor-derived cells (LO-EPC) exposed to any flow environment, while MCP1, but not t-PA or u-PA, was decreased in HUVEC. Conclusions: Flow, in particular bidirectional, modifies the hemostatic balance in LO-EPC with increased TF and decreased plasminogen activator expression