Electronic excitation as a mode of heat dissipation in laser-driven cluster plasmas

Abstract

Electrons streaming out of laser plasma are known for non-local heat transport and energy deposition by the ionization wave. At 100 eV electron temperature, since the electronic excitation cross section is comparable to that of ionization for Ar and CO₂, a non-local excitation wave akin to the ionization wave is envisaged where energy deposition in excitations forms a excited cluster sheath beyond the laser focus. Here, we show that nano-cluster systems have the right parameters to form such an exciton sheath and experimentally demonstrate this via charge transfer reactions.