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Asymmetric high-energy ion emission from argon clusters in intense laser fields
V Kumarappan1, M Krishnamurthy, D Mathur
1Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India.
Physical Review Letters
|August 11, 2001
Abstract:
Clusters of 2x10(3) to 4x10(4) Ar atoms are Coulomb exploded in intense (up to 8x10(15) W cm(-2)) laser fields. The dependence of multiply charged argon ion energies on the polarization state of light is probed. A directional asymmetry in the ion-explosion energies is observed for the highest charge states. The ion-energy distribution consists of a low-energy isotropic component, and a high-energy anisotropic one. The results are discussed in terms of an asymmetric Coulomb-explosion scenario.