The Xe(L) system at/spl lambda//spl sim/2.9 /spl Aring/ exhibits all of the canonical attributes of a saturated amplifier. One clear manifestation of the saturation is the recording of high spectrally resolved x-ray yields that cause gross structural damage to material in the film plane of the spectrometer. The behavior of the amplifier can be best described as a system that undergoes explosive supersaturated amplification. The source of this exceptionally strong amplification can be traced to the dynamically enhanced radiative response of the excited Xe hollow atom states located in the clusters that are mode-coupled to the plasma waveguide forming the amplifying channel.

The triple comparison of ( 1) single-pulse spectral data, recorded with a CCD-equipped von H (a) over bar mos spectrometer both axially and transversely; (2) axially measured time-integrated spectra registered on a film and (3) single-pulse x-ray images of the morphology of the self-trapped plasma channel, recorded simultaneously with the single-pulse spectra, establishes several leading characteristics of the saturated amplification observed on the Xe35+ transition array at lambda congruent to 2.86 angstrom A. The chief findings are (alpha) absolute positive correlation of amplification with the formation of a plasma channel, ( beta) a perfect spectral match of the amplified transitions in the comparison of axially recorded single-pulse and time-integrated film data and (gamma) exact spectral correspondence of both the axially registered single-pulse and time-integrated film data with single-pulse transversely measured spectra exhibiting deep spectral hole burning at the position of the Xe35+ array.

The Xe(L) system at lambda - 2.9 angstrom has demonstrated a peak brightness sufficient for high resolution imaging of living matter at the molecular scale.

The Xe(L) system at λ ∼ 2.9 A has demonstrated a peak brightness sufficient for high resolution imaging of living matter at the molecular scale.

A new technique has been established to produce stable ultra-powerful relativistic channels in high-density plasmas optimized to significantly increase the brightness of the developed 4.5 keV Xe(L) x-ray source. The relativistic channel formation in plasmas with an appropriate gradient in the longitudinal electron density profile optimizes the stability of the self-channeling, the power compression, and the x-ray source brightness. It has been demonstrated that the power trapped in stable optimized relativistic channels in high-density plasmas driven by ~3 TW UV laser system exceeds 50 critical powers for relativistic and ponderomotive self-channeling.

A brief review of the history of power compression over a range encompassing approximately 40 orders of magnitude places laser–nuclear interactions roughly at the logarithmic midpoint of the scale at approximately 1020 W/cm3. The historical picture also motivates four conclusions, specifically, that (1) foreseen developments in power compression will enable laser-induced coupling to all nuclei, (2) conventional physical mechanisms will encounter a limit of Ωα ~ 1030 – 1031 W/cm3, a value approximately 1010 above the presently demonstrated capability, (3) the key to reaching the Ωα limit is the generation of relativistic/chargedisplacement self-trapped channels with multikilovolt X-rays in high-Z solids, a concept named "photon staging," and (4) penetration into the 1030 –1040 W/cm3 zone, the highest range known and the region represented by processes of elementary particle decay, will require an understanding of new physical processes that are presumably tied to phenomena at the Planck scale.

A relativistic time-dependent three-dimensional particle simulation model has been developed to study the interaction of intense ultrashort KrF (248 nm) laser pulses with small Xe clusters. The trajectories of the electrons and ions are treated classically according to the relativistic equation of motion. The model has been applied to a different regime of ultrahigh intensities extending to 10(21) W/ cm(2). In particular, the behavior of the interaction with the clusters from intensities of approximately 10(15) W/cm(2) to intensities sufficient for a transition to the so-called "collective oscillation model" has been explored. At peak intensities below 10(20) W/cm(2), all electrons are removed from the cluster and form a plasma. It is found that the "collective oscillation model" commences at intensities in excess of 10(20) W/cm(2), the range that can be reached in stable relativistic channels. At these high intensities, the magnetic field has a profound effect on the shape and trajectory of the electron cloud. Specifically, the electrons are accelerated to relativistic velocities with energies exceeding 1 MeV in the direction of laser propagation and the magnetic field distorts the shape of the electron cloud to give the form of a pancake.

The Xe(L) system atλ∼2.9 Å exhibits all of the canonical attributes of a saturated amplifier. One clear manifestation of the saturation is the recording of high spectrally resolved x-ray yields that cause gross structural damage to material in the film plane of the spectrometer. The behavior of the amplifier can be best described as a system that undergoes explosive supersaturated amplification. The source of this exceptionally strong amplification can be traced to the dynamically enhanced radiative response of the excited Xe hollow atom states located in the clusters that are mode-coupled to the plasma waveguide forming the amplifying channel.

Water is a nearly ideal medium for the production of confined modes of propagation with the relativistic/charge-displacement mechanism in the multikilovolt x-ray region. Calculations for lambda(x) similar to 2.9 angstrom anchored to experimental data in the ultraviolet (248 nm) region yield stable channels having a characteristic diameter of similar to 190 angstrom, a propagating intensity of similar to 10(26) W cm(-2) and a loss parameter due to photoionization of similar to 0.3 mJ cm(-1). These values are consistent with the generation of x-ray channels conducting coherent x-ray fluences > 10(10) J cm(-2) in water over a length of similar to 1 m, a range a factor of similar to 10(4) greater than the distance associated with linear propagation.

Xe37+(2 (s) over bar2 (p) over bar) double-vacancy states undergo strong amplification in relativistic self-trapped plasma channels on 3d -> 2p transitions in the lambda = 2.78-2.81 angstrom region. The P-2(3/2) -> S-2(1/2) component at lambda congruent to 2.786 angstrom exhibits saturated amplification demonstrated by both (1) the observation of spectral hole-burning in the spontaneous emission profile and (2) the correlated enhancement of 3p -> 2s cascade transitions (S-2(1/2) -> (2)p(j); j = 1/2, 3/2) at lambda = 2.558 angstrom and lambda = 2.600 angstrom. The condition of saturation places a lower limit Of similar to 10(17) W cm(-2) on the intensity of the x-ray beam produced by the amplification in the channel. The anomalous strength of the amplification signalled by the saturation mirrors the equivalently anomalous behaviour observed for all 3d -> 2p transitions corresponding to (2p) single-vacancy Xeq+ affays (q = 31, 32, 34, 35, 36) that exhibit gain. The conspicuous absence of amplification involving states with (2p)2 double-vacancy configurations suggests the operation of a selective interaction that enhances the production of (2 (s) over bar2 (p) over bar) states. Overall, the generation of double-vacancy states of this genre demonstrates that an excitation rate approaching similar to 1 W/atom for ionic species is achievable in self-trapped plasma channels.

The recent observation of strong amplification on multikilovolt Xe(L) hollow atom transitions in the similar to2.8 Angstrom spectral region can be seen as a consequence of the combination of (1) a new concept for amplification that involves the creation of a highly ordered state combining ionic, plasma, and coherent radiative components and (2) the use of two recently discovered (c. similar to1990) forms of radially symmetric energetic matter; namely, hollow atoms and self-trapped plasma channels. This approach enables the demanding power densities necessary for x-ray amplification (similar to 10(19) W/cm(3)) to be reached under conditions for which (alpha) the effective phase space volume of the interaction is profoundly limited and (beta) the energy transfer is radiation dominated.

The universe exhibits two striking manifestations, (a) immense complexity and (b) an astonishingly high scale-free precision. Since a cryptographic system based on the modular arithmetic of a finite field can provide a mathematical structure matching these two cardinal characteristics, it is natural to evaluate the theoretical possibilities of a cryptographic analysis of physical phenomena. The organization of the particle mass scale provides a particularly suitable test of this idea, since the cryptographic approach also has the inherent feature that divergences are fully barred, thereby eliminating the need for ad hoc procedures of renormalization. This article (1) shows how such a cryptographic concept can be implemented and (2) demonstrates its surprising ability to synthesize the description of a broad range of phenomena through the development of an interlocking set of quantitative findings. It is found that a cryptographic theoretical framework based solely on two physically anchored parameters, a modulus P α and a corresponding primitive root g α , can simultaneously achieve six goals. Specifically, it (α) unites the concepts of mass and space, (β) organizes the physical mass scale in a group structure, (γ) produces a quantitative concordance of findings linking the cosmic and micro-scales that includes values for the fine structure constant α and the unified strong-electroweak coupling constant α*, (δ) respectively gives prospective magnitudes of 0.808 meV and 27.68 meV for the rest masses m ν e and m ν μ of the electron (ν e ) and muon (ν μ ) neutrinos, (∊) specifies a symmetry condition that yields an exact predicted value for the Higgs particle mass that lies above 10 18 GeV, and (ζ) enables the formulation of a direct physical connection between the anomalous flavor (ν e /ν μ ) transforming propagation of solar neutrinos and the existence of a positive cosmological constant Λ. These results are uniformly in agreement with all corresponding observational data.

Detailed molecular structural information of the living state is of enormous significance to the medical and biological communities. Since hydrated biologically active structures are small delicate complex three-dimensional (3D) entities, it is essential to have molecular scale spatial resolution, high contrast, distortionless, direct 3D modalities of visualization of naturally functioning specimens in order to faithfully reveal their full molecular architectures. An x-ray holographic microscope equipped with an x-ray laser as the illuminator would be uniquely capable of providing these images. A quantitative interlocking concordance of physical evidence, that includes (a) the observation of strong enhancement of selected spectral components of several Xeq+ hollow-atom transition arrays (q = 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37) radiated axially from confined plasma channels, (b) the measurement of line narrowing that is spectrally correlated with the amplified transitions, (c) evidence for spectral hole-burning in the spontaneous emission, a manifestation of saturated amplification, that corresponds spectrally with the amplified lines, and (d) the detection of an intense narrow (δθx ∼ 0.2 mrad) directed beam of radiation, (1) experimentally demonstrates in the λ ∼ = 2.71–2.93 Å range (ℏωx ∼ = 4230–4570 eV) the operation of a new concept capable of producing the ideal conditions for amplification of multikilovolt x-rays and (2) proves the feasibility of a compact x-ray illuminator that can cost-effectively achieve the mission of biological x-ray microholography. The measurements also (α) establish the property of tunability in the quantum energy over a substantial fraction of the spectral region exhibiting amplification (Δℏωx ∼ 345 eV) and (β) demonstrate the coherence of the x-ray output through the observation of a canonical spatial mode pattern. An analysis of the physical scaling revealed by these results indicates that the capability of the x-ray source potentially includes single-molecule microimaging, the key for the in situ structural analysis of membrane proteins, a cardinal class of drug targets. An estimate of the peak brightness achieved in these initial experiments gives a value of ∼1031–1032 photons s−1 mm−2 mrad−2/(0.1% bandwidth), a magnitude that is ∼107–108-fold higher than presently available synchrotron technology.