Plasma temperature and ion current analysis of gold ablation at different laser power rates

Deconvolution of time-of-flight ion currents recorded with an ion collector and cylindrical ion analyser spectra were applied to characterization of production of Auq+ ions (1 ⩽ q ⩽ 52) by focusing laser-beam intensity of 5 × 1014 W/cm2 onto a bulk target. The deconvolution of TOF spectra indicates up to eight current peaks carried by ion groups having different mean ionisation state and different energy. The nature of the laser-produced ion groups depends on the laser pulse characteristics, the focusing conditions and on the non-linear phenomena induced by the interaction of the focused laser pulse with the plasma.Comparison of recovered ion current peaks of multiplies charged Auq+ ions (1 ⩽ q ⩽ 9) produced with laser intensity of 3 × 1010 W/cm2 with reconstructed currents of single charge-states is presented. The multi-peak structure of the current of a single charge-state Iq(t) is discussed with regard to charge recombination.