Experimental studies in laser interaction with wavelength scale matter via second harmonic production and hard x-ray production

This dissertation presents the results of two experimental campaigns in the field of high intensity laser matter interaction. A common thread with both experiments was the use of wavelength scale spheres as the targets. A crucial feature of our experiments was the use uniformly sized spheres; this was done in order to facilitate exploration and interpretation of light interaction at this size scale. The first experiment was an attempt to measure the angular distribution of the second harmonic radiation from wavelength sized spheres. We run many versions of this experiment incrementally refining our technique but at the end the desired signal was too weak to be reliably reproduced. The second experiment measured and characterized an increase in x-ray yield of a target coated with wavelength scale spheres. We conducted the experiment with a range of sphere sizes and we noted a peak in the x-ray yield at a sphere diameter of 0.26 micrometers corresponding to a size parameter of 2.04.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Sumeruk, Hernan Ariel

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ditmire, Todd R.

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier

b68655277

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/2968