Investigation of slow collisions for (quasi) symmetric heavy systems: what can be extracted from high resolution X-ray spectra

We present a new experiment on (quasi) symmetric collision systems at low-velocity, namely Ar$^{17+}$ ions ($v=0.53$ a.u.) on gaseous Ar and N$_2$ targets, using low- and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. Thanks to an accurate efficiency calibration of the spectrometers, we extract absolute X-ray emission cross sections combining low-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and a complete determination of the ion beam - gas jet target overlap. Values with improved uncertainty are found in agreement with previous results \cite{Tawara2001}. Resolving the whole He-like Ar$^{16+}$ Lyman series from $n=2$ to 10 with our crystal spectrometer enables to determine precisely the distribution ${\mathcal{P}_n}$ of the electron capture probability and the preferential $n_{pref}$ level of the selective single-electron capture. Evaluation of cross sections for this process as well as for the contribution of multiple-capture is carried out. Their sensitivity to the $\ell$-distribution of $n$ levels populated by single-electron capture is clearly demonstrated, providing a stringent benchmark for theories. In addition, the hardness ratio is extracted and the influence of the decay of the metastable $1s2s\ ^3 S_1$ state on this ratio is discussed

Suppression of the thermal hysteresis in magnetocaloric MnAs thin film by highly charged ion bombardment

We present the investigation on the modifications of structural and magnetic properties of MnAs thin film epitaxially grown on GaAs induced by slow highly charged ions bombardment under well-controlled conditions. The ion-induced defects facilitate the nucleation of one phase with respect to the other in the first-order magneto-structural MnAs transition with a consequent suppression of thermal hysteresis without any significant perturbation on the other structural and magnetic properties. In particular, the irradiated film keeps the giant magnetocaloric effect at room temperature opening new perspective on magnetic refrigeration technology for everyday use

Source X par agrégats : contrôle et optimisation des paramètres gouvernant línteraction laser de puissance - agrégats de gaz rare

National audienceLes expériences que nous avons réalisées sur le Laser Ultra Court Accordable du CEA Saclay permettent dóbserver l\'émission de photons X dans la gamme 1-5 keV lors de lírradiation dágrégats de gaz rare (Ar, Kr et Xe comprenant entre 10^3 et 10^6 atomes par agrégat) avec un laser femtoseconde de puissance (Ipic jusqu\'à 10^17 W/cm²). En plus de la distribution des états de charge des ions responsables de l\'émission X, la technique de spectroscopie X que nous utilisons permet de mesurer les taux absolus de photons émis dans 4π par impulsion laser en fonction des paramètres gouvernant línteraction dans des conditions contrôlées. Nous avons déterminé la sensibilité des paramètres physiques régissant la production du rayonnement X pendant línteraction, ce qui permet dáccéder à lóptimisation de cette source. Cet article est plus particulièrement dédié aux résultas relatifs à l\'évolution du taux d\'X avec l\'éclairement laser, dúne part, et avec la durée de límpulsion laser, dáutre part

Émission X(L) du xénon par interaction laser -agrégats

National audienceNous avons étudié le rayonnement X provenant d'ions fortement multichargés (" 24+) présentant des lacunes en couche L produits lors de l'irradiation d'agrégats de xénon par des impulsions lumineuses issues d'un laser femtoseconde de puissance. Les résultats obtenus lors de la toute dernière campagne d'expériences réalisée auprès du serveur LUCA du SPAM/DRECAM au CEA/Saclay mettent en cause certains travaux antérieurs. Des divergences marquées apparaissent tant au niveau de l'interprétation des spectres X que sur la variation du taux d'émission en fonction de l'éclairement et de la longueur d'onde

Dynamique sub-picoseconde de l'interaction laser de puissance – agrégats de gaz rare : émission intense de rayons X et production d'ions multichargés.

National audienceLors de campagnes d'expériences réalisées sur le Laser Ultra Court Accordable du CEA/Saclay, nous avons étudié le rayonnement X, tant qualitativement (spectroscopie et énergie moyenne des photons) que quantitativement (taux absolus et lois d'évolution), émis lors de l'interaction d'un jet effusif d'agrégats de gaz rare (Ar, Kr, Xe comprenant entre 10^4 et 10^6 atomes/agrégat) avec un laser femtoseconde de puissance (éclairement jusqu'à quelques 10^17 W/cm2). Les résultats présentés dans ce manuscrit sont uniquement dédiés aux agrégats d'Ar pour lesquels nous avons observé un rayonnement X issu d'ions fortement multichargés (jusqu'à l'Ar16+) présentant des lacunes en couches K. La technique de spectroscopie X utilisée a permis de déterminer pour la première fois des taux absolus ainsi que les lois d'évolution de l'émission X en fonction de l'ensemble des paramètres gouvernant l'interaction (intensité, polarisation, longueur d'onde et durée du pulse laser aussi bien que taille, densité et numéro atomique des agrégats)

State selective measurements of HCI produced by strong ultrashort laser clusters interaction

International audienceWe have performed studies of keV x-ray production from (Ar)n , (Kr)n and (Xe)n rare gas clusters (with n between 104 and 106 atoms/cluster) submitted to intense (~10^18 W/cm2) infrared (790 nm) laser pulses. We have determined the photon energies and the absolute photon emission yields as a function of several physical parameters governing the interaction : size and atomic number of the clusters, peak intensity of the laser. Up to 10^6 3 keV photons per pulse at a moderate (10^15/cm3) atomic density have been observed. High resolution spectroscopy studies in the case of (Ar)n clusters have also been performed, giving unambiguous evidence of highly charged (up to heliumlike) ions with K vacancies production. The results obtained indicate that X-rays are emitted before cluster explosion on a subpicosecond time scale, and shed some light on the mechanisms involved in the first stage of the production of the nanoplasma induced from each cluster

Magnetic properties changes of MnAs thin films irradiated with highly charged ions

We present the first investigation on the effect of highly charged ion bombardment on a manganese arsenide thin film. The MnAs films, 150 nm thick, are irradiated with 90 keV Ne$^{9+}$ ions with a dose varying from $1.6\times10^{12}$ to $1.6\times10^{15}$ ions/cm$^2$. The structural and magnetic properties of the film after irradiation are investigated using different techniques, namely, X-ray diffraction, magneto-optic Kerr effect and magnetic force microscope. Preliminary results are presented. From the study of the lattice spacing, we measure a change on the film structure that depends on the received dose, similarly to previous studies with other materials. Investigations on the surface show a strong modification of its magnetic properties

Primary processes: from atoms to diatomic molecules and clusters

International audienceThis article presents a short review of the main progresses achieved at the GANIL facilities during the last thirty years in the field of ion-atom and ion-diatomic molecule collisions. Thanks to the wide range of projectile energies and species available on the different beam lines of the facility, elementary processes such as electron capture, ionization and excitation have been extensively studied. Beside primary collision mechanisms, the relaxation processes of the collision partners after the collision have been another specific source of interest. Progresses on other fundamental processes such as Young type interferences induced by ion-molecule collisions or shake off ionization resulting from nuclear beta decay are also presented. 1. Introduction For the electronic structures of atoms and molecules, precise theoretical knowledge and high-resolution experimental data are available. But the complete understanding of dynamic processes in atomic collisions remains a challenge, due to large theoretical problems in describing time-dependent many-particle reactions, and to experimental difficulties in performing complete experiments in which all relevant quantities are accessible. Elementary collisions involving ions, atoms and molecules play an important role in many gaseous and plasma environments, where they provide both the heating and cooling mechanisms. The study of such collisions is thus not only of fundamental importance, it is also essential for the understanding of large-scale systems such as astrophysical plasmas, planetary atmospheres, gas discharge lasers, semiconductor processing plasmas, and fusion plasmas. Collisions between ions and atoms (or simple molecules) give also access to the elementary processes responsible for energy transfer in ion-matter and ion-biological molecule collisions. Complete knowledge of these elementary processes is thus of primordial importance for ion induced modification of materials as well as for radiolysis, radiotherapy and biological damages due to radiation exposure

Exploiting natural polysaccharides to enhance in vitro bio-constructs of primary neurons and progenitor cells

Current strategies in Central Nervous System (CNS) repair focus on the engineering of artificial scaffolds for guiding and promoting neuronal tissue regrowth. Ideally, one should combine such synthetic structures with stem cell therapies, encapsulating progenitor cells and instructing their differentiation and growth. We used developments in the design, synthesis, and characterization of polysaccharide-based bioactive polymeric materials for testing the ideal composite supporting neuronal network growth, synapse formation and stem cell differentiation into neurons and motor neurons. Moreover, we investigated the feasibility of combining these approaches with engineered mesenchymal stem cells able to release neurotrophic factors. We show here that composite bio-constructs made of Chitlac, a Chitosan derivative, favor hippocampal neuronal growth, synapse formation and the differentiation of progenitors into the proper neuronal lineage, that can be improved by local and continuous delivery of neurotrophins. Statement of Significance In our work, we characterized polysaccharide-based bioactive platforms as biocompatible materials for nerve tissue engineering. We show that Chitlac-thick substrates are able to promote neuronal growth, differentiation, maturation and formation of active synapses. These observations support this new material as a promising candidate for the development of complex bio-constructs promoting central nervous system regeneration. Our novel findings sustain the exploitation of polysaccharide-based scaffolds able to favour neuronal network reconstruction. Our study shows that Chitlac-thick may be an ideal candidate for the design of biomaterial scaffolds enriched with stem cell therapies as an innovative approach for central nervous system repair

Transport of Fast Ions through Solid and Clusters under Intense Laser Pulses: Interaction dynamics probed by X‐ray spectroscopy

When studying the interaction between a fast heavy ion projectile and a solid target, we can be interested either by the target itself (for instance, the formation of tracks in insulating materials) or by what happens to the ion. These different studies are obviously strongly connected. In our group, we mainly concentrate on the transport of electrons in ion excited states. Two extreme representations may be used to evaluate, especially, the electronic ion stopping in matter. These two aspects are linked to the response of the target electrons:In the first picture, the solid is seen as an assembly of atoms and the HCIs undergo a series of binary ion‐ atom collisions with the target electrons. This pure collisional approach has been used in the Bethe theory to calculate the ion stopping power. The ensemble of ion‐atom cross sections forms the database of any theoretical treatment.In the other picture, closer in spirit to the dielectric theory first proposed by Bohr, the target electrons are considered to respond collectively to the passage of the projectile. The HCIs induce a polarization of the medium described as a wake of electronic density fluctuation trailing the ion, the so‐called wake field. The gradient of the wake potential leads to the establishment of an electric field, and its local value at the projectile can be used to calculate the stopping power. Its value can be as high as that of the electric field experienced by an electron on the first Bohr orbit, i.e., 5.4 109 V/cm.Both types of calculations appear to achieve good agreement with stopping power measurements, despite a rather different physical picture for the behavior of the target electrons. It is clear that the response of the target electrons to the passage of the ion has direct consequences on the projectile ion: it is slowed down, but not only, the populations in its excited states are also altered by the presence of the environment (the solid). Notably, the presence of the wake field may mix the ion excited states by Stark effect in a coherent manner while a pure collisional response of target electrons destroys any coherence. Hence, the group tackled the study of the production and transport of projectile excited states. The analysis of the de‐excitation of these excited states allow us to probe the solid response.High values of electric field are also reachable with intense laser pulses inducing also a strong perturbation in the matter. Laser excitation/ionization of nanometer‐sized atomic clusters offers opportunity to explore ultrafast many particle dynamics. Indeed, submitted to strong optical fields, the response of free clusters is often very different from that of single atoms/molecules. Large clusters, similarly to solids, couple very efficiently to intense sub‐picosecond laser pulses. Near 100 % of the laser radiation can be absorbed giving rise to the observation of highly charged ions with energies reaching MeV and warm electrons with a fraction having keV energies. Another fascinating feature of this interaction is its efficiency for converting photons in the eV range to X‐rays with keV energies. This emission is due to the de‐excitation of HCIs having inner shell vacancies. The lifetime of these excited states being very short (down to some fs), their observation gives access to the dynamical evolution of the irradiated cluster on a time scale comparable to that of the laser pulse duration. Our group has performed several experiments to measure the evolution of absolute photon yields and charge state distributions of the emitting ions with different physical parameters governing the interaction; namely intensity, polarization, pulse duration and wavelength of the laser as well as the size of the clusters. These various studies have allowed us to determine the ionization mechanisms in inner shells and their time competition. In this manuscript, I only present the influence of the laser intensity