Survey of nuclei for low-energy nuclear excitation in laser-produced plasma

We present a survey of stable and long-lived nuclei as well as nuclear isomers looking for candidates of studies of low-energy (1-30 keV) nuclear excitation by laser-produced plasma radiation. We concentrate on medium-size high-power lasers with pulse duration of hundreds of ps providing energy up to 1000 J and subrelativistic intensity of 10(16)-10(17) W cm(-2). Screening criteria are primarily the transition energy and the half-life, spin and parity of nuclear levels. Ta-181 is suggested as first candidate for which an estimation of reaction efficiency is included. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.