Pulse radiolysis of liquid water using picosecond electron pulses produced by a table-top terawatt laser system

Authors

Ned Saleh, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Kirk Flippo, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Koshichi Nemoto, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Donald P. Umstadter, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Robert A. Crowell, Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
Charles D. Jonah, Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
Alexander D. Trifunac, Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois

Date of this Version

6-1-2000

Comments

Published by American Physical Society. Review Scientific Instruments 71, 2305 (2000). Copyright © 2000 American Physical Society. Permission to use.

Abstract

A laser based electron generator is shown, for the first time, to produce sufficient charge to conduct time resolved investigations of radiation induced chemical events. Electron pulses generated by focussing terawatt laser pulses into a supersonic helium gas jet are used to ionize liquid water. The decay of the hydrated electrons produced by the ionizing electron pulses is monitored with 0.3 µs time resolution. Hydrated electron concentrations as high as 22 µM were generated. The results show that terawatt lasers offer both an alternative to linear accelerators and a means to achieve subpicosecond time resolution for pulse radiolysis studies.