K-shell emission dynamics of Be-like to He-like ions from a 100 fs laser-produced aluminium plasma

The authors present experimental results and numerical simulations of K-shell emission from Be-like, Li-like and He-like ions from a 100 fs laser-produced aluminium plasma at intensities in excess of 10¹⁶ W cm^-2. The use of thin film targets of thickness comparable to the laser skin depth greatly facilitates the interpretation of time-integrated spectra and permits the study of quasi-homogeneous temperature plasmas with limited plasma line broadening effects. Time-dependent modelling shows that the X-ray pulse duration of the Be-like and Li-like emissions is much shorter than the laser pulse. Time-integrated model spectra are in good agreement with experiment.