ABSTRACT
A 14 TW Ti:Sa laser furnishing pulses with a duration of 30 fs (full width at half maximum) at a repetition rate of 10 Hz was used to expose solid targets to intensities of up to 3x10(18) W/cm(2). Dosimetric techniques were employed to study the total x-ray yield, the spectral and angular distribution of the x-ray photons and the energy distribution of high-energy electrons injected into the solid target and emitted into the vacuum. Scans of laser pulse energy and duration were carried out to study the dependence of the x-ray generation efficiency on these parameters. The radiation transport processes in the target were modeled using the Monte Carlo method. The results of these calculations were used to interpret the measurement results and to critically discuss the applicability of dosimetric methods to the investigation of photon and electron emission from laser-produced plasmas.