A tunable bench top light source for photoelectron spectroscopy: first results for alpha and delta Pu

We report the first ever utilization of a laser plasma light source for photoelectron spectroscopy. Using a continuous mercury stream as the target, the light source is essentially debris free with intensities rivaling some second generation syncrotrons. Its primary use is likely to be in connection with hazardous materials which are undesirable at synchrotrons, such as Pu. Toward this end we report the first photoemission data on alpha- and delta-Pu. Both phases display a Sf-related feature at E-F, which is much sharper in delta-Pu than in alpha-Pu, suggestive of heavy fermion behavior. In both phases, however, the h nu-dependence of the intensity of this feature can only be understood if there exists substantial 6d-admixture. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.