Characteristic features of the x-ray spectra of a plasma produced by heating CO2 clusters by intense femtosecond laser pulses with λ=0.8 and 0.4 μm

The x-ray spectra of a plasma produced by heating CO2 clusters with intense femtosecond laser pulses with λ=0.8 μm and λ=0.4 μm are investigated. Spatially resolved x-ray spectra of the cluster plasma are obtained. The observed characteristic features of the x-ray emission spectra show unequivocally that such a plasma contains quite a large relative number of ions (≃10−2–10−3) with energies of 0.1–1 MeV. The contour of the OVIII Lyα line is found to have characteristic features that are especially conspicuous when the clusters are heated with second-harmonic pulses. These features cannot be explained by any mechanisms known to the authors.