Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 March 2009
High-temperature plasmas were produced by focusing 1·05 μm, 100 psec laser pulses onto Al layer targets at a mean irradiation of 3·1013 Watt/cm2. By means of simultaneous measurements of the thermal x-ray emission and the frequency-quadrupled laser pulse we observe a 20 ± 15 psec delay of the x-ray peak relative to the peak of the incident laser pulse. In addition, modulations on the trailing edge of the driving pulse appear strongly enhanced in the x-ray signature.