To increase X-ray photon number generated by laser-cluster interaction, it is important to understand the dependence of X-ray generation on cluster size. We carried out Xe K-shell X-ray generation using a conical nozzle with Xe clusters, the radius of which was controllable by adjusting the backing pressure. The experiment clarifies the result that the Xe K-shell X-ray photon number increases with increasing cluster radius from 8 to 12 nm, and saturates at the radius between 12 and 17 nm. We also investigated the Xe K-shell X-ray photon number dependence on laser intensity, and found that the threshold laser intensity of the Xe K-shell X-ray generation exists between 2 × 1017 and 5 × 1018 W/cm2.

Very good absorption of ultra short laser pulses by clusters is a well established fact. Efficient collisional absorption occurs only in the initial phase of the pulse. However, experiments and numerical simulations show that even after collisional absorption becomes inefficient subsequent to heating of the electrons, strong absorption continues. There have been a few attempts to model this phenomenon in terms of driven “linear” oscillator models with time dependent eigen-frequencies. Here we propose a nonlinear oscillator model and show that nonlinear resonance is the leading mechanism responsible for the collisionless absorption. Further it is demonstrated, on the basis of Lyapunov spectra, that laser-cluster interaction, under certain conditions, exhibits chaotic behavior.