Characterization and optimization of a laser-produced x-ray source with a gas puff target

Soft x-ray emission from plasmas produced using a laser-irradiated gas puff target have been investigated. The use of the gas puff targets, created by? pulsed injection of high-density gas from a solenoid valve through a nozzle, eliminates the production of debris associated with solid targets. To improve the gas paff target two approaches have been used: (1) cooling of the valve with liquid nitrogen to increase condensation of gas and (2) formation of the target by injection of gas in gas surrounding the nozzle output using the double nozzle setup. The gas puff targets created with these two approaches were characterized with x-ray backlighting method using a laser-produced x-ra!: source. Laser pulses of I ns time duration with energy up to 10 J from a Nd:glass laser and of either 0.9 ns or 10 ns time duration with energies up to 0.7 J from a Nd:YAG laser were used to produce plasmas. Emissions in the soft x-ray range from laser-produced gas puff plasmas were studied for various gases. Significant improvement of x-ray production from the double stream gas puff target has been observed.