Resolving ultrafast heating of dense cryogenic hydrogen.

Journal article

We report on the dynamics of ultrafast heating in cryogenic hydrogen initiated by a ≲300  fs, 92 eV free electron laser x-ray burst. The rise of the x-ray scattering amplitude from a second x-ray pulse probes the transition from dense cryogenic molecular hydrogen to a nearly uncorrelated plasmalike structure, indicating an electron-ion equilibration time of ∼0.9  ps. The rise time agrees with radiation hydrodynamics simulations based on a conductivity model for partially ionized plasma that is validated by two-temperature density-functional theory.

Authors: Zastrau, U; Sperling, P; Harmand, M; Becker, A; Bornath, T

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Volume: 112
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 105002
• Publication date: 2014-03-01
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.105002
• EISSN: 1079-7114
• ISSN: 0031-9007
• Language: English