Multi-keV Electron Generation in the Interaction of Intense Laser Pulses with Xe Clusters

We have observed the production of multi-keV electrons through the irradiation of Xe clusters by an intense, near infrared, femtosecond laser pulse. We find the electron kinetic energy distribution consists of two features, a open-quote open-quote warm close-quote close-quote peak of between 0.1 and 1 keV and a open-quote open-quote hot close-quote close-quote peak of energy between 2 and 3 keV. These measurements are consistent with a picture of rapid electron collisional heating in the cluster and exhibit good agreement with numerical modeling of the electron energy distribution