Development of a thermal X-radiation source using short pulse lasers*

We report on experiments designed to use short pulse lasers to generate a thermal x-radiation source.~ The ideal source has a blackbody-like spectra with the radiation density inside the source equal to the blackbody radiation density. The source we are developing is a thin foil irradiated by a short pulse laser. We report on the initial experiments which vary laser energy, pulse length, and target thickness to maximize the conversion of laser energy into soft x-rays. Later experiments will characterize the heating mechanisms by measuring the temporal evolution of soft x-ray emission as well as the energy distribution of hot electrons leaving the target. Understanding the heating mechanisms is crucial to the development of an x-radiation source and contributes to the field of basic plasma physics under extreme conditions.