Evaluation of Yields of γ-Rays Produced by Electrons from Gas Jets Irradiated by Low-Energy Laser Pulses: Towards “Virtual Radioisotopes”

Electron generation from a gas jet irradiated by low-energy femtosecond laser pulses is studied as a promising source of ∼1 MeV radiation for radioisotope-free γ-ray imaging systems: “virtual radioisotopes”. The yield of γ-rays in the 0.5–2 MeV range produced by low-average-power lasers and gas targets exceeds the yields from solid tape targets up to 2 orders of magnitude; it can be competitive with the yield from conventional radioisotopes used in industrial applications.