My research is aimed at two areas exploiting ultrashort pulse laser technology: i) high intensity laser/matter interactions in atoms and molecules, and ii) developing and applying ultrashort pulse short wavelength light sources from the vacuum ultraviolet to the hard x-ray. First, isolated gas phase atoms and molecules are exposed to high intensity radiation to study ionization dynamics. Second, high intensity ultrashort pulse lasers are used to generate x-ray bursts from either solid density laser produced plasmas or high order harmonic generation in gases. Imaging x-ray optics are used to collect and transport x-rays to various experiments. Novel techniques for measuring the duration of x-ray bursts are being developed based on time resolved pump-probe experiments with x-rays and visible lasers. Time resolved studies of materials dynamics in atomic, molecular, plasma and solid state systems will be performed using picosecond x-ray diffraction, EXAFS, and chemical shifts. Experimental techniques utilized include ultrashort pulse laser technology, high energy amplification, photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray optics.

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