Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets
Here we present experimental results on laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent, overdense plasmas in the break-out afterburner (BOA) regime. Experiments were preformed at the Trident ultra-high contrast laser facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and at the Texas Petaw...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2013-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/085015 |
| _version_ | 1797751364748574720 |
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| author | B M Hegelich I Pomerantz L Yin H C Wu D Jung B J Albright D C Gautier S Letzring S Palaniyappan R Shah K Allinger R Hörlein J Schreiber D Habs J Blakeney G Dyer L Fuller E Gaul E Mccary A R Meadows C Wang T Ditmire J C Fernandez |
| author_facet | B M Hegelich I Pomerantz L Yin H C Wu D Jung B J Albright D C Gautier S Letzring S Palaniyappan R Shah K Allinger R Hörlein J Schreiber D Habs J Blakeney G Dyer L Fuller E Gaul E Mccary A R Meadows C Wang T Ditmire J C Fernandez |
| author_sort | B M Hegelich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Here we present experimental results on laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent, overdense plasmas in the break-out afterburner (BOA) regime. Experiments were preformed at the Trident ultra-high contrast laser facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and at the Texas Petawatt laser facility, located in the University of Texas at Austin. It is shown that when the target becomes relativistically transparent to the laser, an epoch of dramatic acceleration of ions occurs that lasts until the electron density in the expanding target reduces to the critical density in the non-relativistic limit. For given laser parameters, the optimal target thickness yielding the highest maximum ion energy is one in which this time window for ion acceleration overlaps with the intensity peak of the laser pulse. A simple analytic model of relativistically induced transparency is presented for plasma expansion at the time-evolving sound speed, from which these times may be estimated. The maximum ion energy attainable is controlled by the finite acceleration volume and time over which the BOA acts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:47:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-436a88a21e634da887032c04df89d639 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:47:25Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-436a88a21e634da887032c04df89d6392023-08-08T11:29:32ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302013-01-0115808501510.1088/1367-2630/15/8/085015Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargetsB M Hegelich0I Pomerantz1L Yin2H C Wu3D Jung4B J Albright5D C Gautier6S Letzring7S Palaniyappan8R Shah9K Allinger10R Hörlein11J Schreiber12D Habs13J Blakeney14G Dyer15L Fuller16E Gaul17E Mccary18A R Meadows19C Wang20T Ditmire21J C Fernandez22The University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USA; Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , D-85748 Garching, Germany; Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik , D-85748 Garching, GermanyLos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USADepartment für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , D-85748 Garching, GermanyMax-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik , D-85748 Garching, GermanyDepartment für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , D-85748 Garching, Germany; Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik , D-85748 Garching, GermanyDepartment für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , D-85748 Garching, Germany; Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik , D-85748 Garching, GermanyThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USAThe University of Texas , Austin, TX 78712, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USAHere we present experimental results on laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent, overdense plasmas in the break-out afterburner (BOA) regime. Experiments were preformed at the Trident ultra-high contrast laser facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and at the Texas Petawatt laser facility, located in the University of Texas at Austin. It is shown that when the target becomes relativistically transparent to the laser, an epoch of dramatic acceleration of ions occurs that lasts until the electron density in the expanding target reduces to the critical density in the non-relativistic limit. For given laser parameters, the optimal target thickness yielding the highest maximum ion energy is one in which this time window for ion acceleration overlaps with the intensity peak of the laser pulse. A simple analytic model of relativistically induced transparency is presented for plasma expansion at the time-evolving sound speed, from which these times may be estimated. The maximum ion energy attainable is controlled by the finite acceleration volume and time over which the BOA acts.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/085015 |
| spellingShingle | B M Hegelich I Pomerantz L Yin H C Wu D Jung B J Albright D C Gautier S Letzring S Palaniyappan R Shah K Allinger R Hörlein J Schreiber D Habs J Blakeney G Dyer L Fuller E Gaul E Mccary A R Meadows C Wang T Ditmire J C Fernandez Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets New Journal of Physics |
| title | Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| title_full | Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| title_fullStr | Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| title_short | Laser-driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| title_sort | laser driven ion acceleration from relativistically transparent nanotargets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/085015 |
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