1
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Catrix E, Boivin F, Langlois K, Vallières S, Boynukara CY, Fourmaux S, Antici P. Stable high repetition-rate laser-driven proton beam production for multidisciplinary applications on the advanced laser light source ion beamline. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2023; 94:103003. [PMID: 37791855 DOI: 10.1063/5.0160783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Laser-driven proton accelerators are relevant candidates for many applications such as material science or medicine. Today, there are multi-hundred-TW table-top laser systems that can generate relativistic peak intensities >1018 W/cm2 and routinely reach proton energies in the MeV range. However, for most desired applications, there is still a need to optimize the quality and stability of the laser-generated proton beam. In this work, we developed a 0.625 Hz high repetition-rate setup in which a laser with 2.5% RMS energy stability is irradiating a solid target with an intensity of 1019 to 1020 W/cm2 to explore proton energy and yield variations, both with high shot statistics (up to about 400 laser shots) and using different interaction targets. Investigating the above-mentioned parameters is important for applications that rely on specific parts of the proton spectrum or a high ion flux produced over quick multi-shot irradiation. We demonstrate that the use of a stable "multi-shot mode" allows improving applications, e.g., in the detection of trace elements using laser-driven particle-induced x-ray emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Catrix
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - Frédéric Boivin
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
- Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montréal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Kassandra Langlois
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
- Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montréal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Simon Vallières
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
- Institute for Quantum Computing, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Canan Yağmur Boynukara
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
- Dipartimento SBAI, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via A. Scarpa 14, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Sylvain Fourmaux
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - Patrizio Antici
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1P7, Canada
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2
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Sherlock M, Michel P. Absorption and Transport Effects Induced in Plasmas by the Interaction of Electrons with Laser Speckles. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 129:215001. [PMID: 36461965 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.215001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We show that the ponderomotive force associated with laser speckles can scatter electrons in a laser-produced plasma in a manner similar to Coulomb scattering. Analytic expressions for the effective collision rates are given. The electron-speckle collisions become important at high laser intensity or during filamentation, affecting both long- and short-pulse laser intensity regimes. As an example, we find that the effective collision rate in the laser-overlap region of hohlraums on the National Ignition Facility is expected to exceed the Coulomb collision rate by 1 order of magnitude, leading to a fundamental change to the electron transport properties. At the high intensities characteristic of short-pulse laser-plasma interactions (I≳10^{17} W cm^{-2}), the scattering is strong enough to cause the direct absorption of laser energy, generating hot electrons with energy scaling as E≈1.44(I/10^{18} W cm^{-2})^{1/2} MeV, close to experimentally observed results.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sherlock
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94551, United States
| | - P Michel
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94551, United States
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3
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Glek PB, Zheltikov AM. Enhanced coherent transition radiation from midinfrared-laser-driven microplasmas. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7660. [PMID: 35538111 PMCID: PMC9090813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10614-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a particle-in-cell (PIC) analysis of terahertz (THz) radiation by ultrafast plasma currents driven by relativistic-intensity laser pulses. We show that, while the I0 [Formula: see text] product of the laser intensity I0 and the laser wavelength λ0 plays the key role in the energy scaling of strong-field laser-plasma THz generation, the THz output energy, WTHz, does not follow the I0 [Formula: see text] scaling. Its behavior as a function of I0 and λ0 is instead much more complex. Our two- and three-dimensional PIC analysis shows that, for moderate, subrelativistic and weakly relativistic fields, WTHz(I0 [Formula: see text]) can be approximated as (I0λ02)α, with a suitable exponent α, as a clear signature of vacuum electron acceleration as a predominant physical mechanism whereby the energy of the laser driver is transferred to THz radiation. For strongly relativistic laser fields, on the other hand, WTHz(I0 [Formula: see text]) closely follows the scaling dictated by the relativistic electron laser ponderomotive potential [Formula: see text], converging to WTHz ∝ [Formula: see text] for very high I0, thus indicating the decisive role of relativistic ponderomotive charge acceleration as a mechanism behind laser-to-THz energy conversion. Analysis of the electron distribution function shows that the temperature Te of hot laser-driven electrons bouncing back and forth between the plasma boundaries displays the same behavior as a function of I0 and λ0, altering its scaling from (I0λ02)α to that of [Formula: see text], converging to WTHz ∝ [Formula: see text] for very high I0. These findings provide a clear physical picture of THz generation in relativistic and subrelativistic laser plasmas, suggesting the THz yield WTHz resolved as a function of I0 and λ0 as a meaningful measurable that can serve as a probe for the temperature Te of hot electrons in a vast class of laser-plasma interactions. Specifically, the α exponent of the best (I0λ02)α fit of the THz yield suggests a meaningful probe that can help identify the dominant physical mechanisms whereby the energy of the laser field is converted to the energy of plasma electrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- P B Glek
- Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - A M Zheltikov
- Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
- Russian Quantum Center, Skolkovo, Moscow Region, 143025, Russia.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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4
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Wilson R, King M, Butler NMH, Carroll DC, Frazer TP, Duff MJ, Higginson A, Dance RJ, Jarrett J, Davidson ZE, Armstrong CD, Liu H, Hawkes SJ, Clarke RJ, Neely D, Gray RJ, McKenna P. Influence of spatial-intensity contrast in ultraintense laser-plasma interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1910. [PMID: 35115579 PMCID: PMC8814164 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05655-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing the intensity to which high power laser pulses are focused has opened up new research possibilities, including promising new approaches to particle acceleration and phenomena such as high field quantum electrodynamics. Whilst the intensity achievable with a laser pulse of a given power can be increased via tighter focusing, the focal spot profile also plays an important role in the interaction physics. Here we show that the spatial-intensity distribution, and specifically the ratio of the intensity in the peak of the laser focal spot to the halo surrounding it, is important in the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with solid targets. By comparing proton acceleration measurements from foil targets irradiated with by a near-diffraction-limited wavelength scale focal spot and larger F-number focusing, we find that this spatial-intensity contrast parameter strongly influences laser energy coupling to fast electrons. We find that for multi-petawatt pulses, spatial-intensity contrast is potentially as important as temporal-intensity contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Wilson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M King
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - N M H Butler
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - T P Frazer
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M J Duff
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - A Higginson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - R J Dance
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - J Jarrett
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - Z E Davidson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - C D Armstrong
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - H Liu
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK.,Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - S J Hawkes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D Neely
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Gray
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - P McKenna
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK. .,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK.
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5
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Rusby DR, King PM, Pak A, Lemos N, Kerr S, Cochran G, Pagano I, Hannasch A, Quevedo H, Spinks M, Donovan M, Link A, Kemp A, Wilks SC, Williams GJ, Manuel MJE, Gavin Z, Haid A, Albert F, Aufderheide M, Chen H, Siders CW, Macphee A, Mackinnon A. Enhancements in laser-generated hot-electron production via focusing cone targets at short pulse and high contrast. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:053207. [PMID: 34134339 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.053207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We report on the increase in the accelerated electron number and energy using compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) targets from a short-pulse (∼150 fs), high-intensity (>10^{18} W/cm^{2}), and high-contrast (∼10^{8}) laser-solid interaction. We report on experimental measurements using CPC targets where the hot-electron temperature is enhanced up to ∼9 times when compared to planar targets. The temperature measured from the CPC target is 〈T_{e}〉=4.4±1.3 MeV. Using hydrodynamic and particle in cell simulations, we identify the primary source of this temperature enhancement is the intensity increase caused by the CPC geometry that focuses the laser, reducing the focal spot and therefore increasing the intensity of the laser-solid interaction, which is also consistent with analytic expectations for the geometrical focusing.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Rusby
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - P M King
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.,Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A Pak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - N Lemos
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - S Kerr
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - G Cochran
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - I Pagano
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A Hannasch
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - H Quevedo
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - M Spinks
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - M Donovan
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A Link
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - A Kemp
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - S C Wilks
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - G J Williams
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - M J-E Manuel
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ave, San Diego, California 92103, USA
| | - Z Gavin
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ave, San Diego, California 92103, USA
| | - A Haid
- General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ave, San Diego, California 92103, USA
| | - F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - M Aufderheide
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - H Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - C W Siders
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - A Macphee
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - A Mackinnon
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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6
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Krupka M, Singh S, Pisarczyk T, Dostal J, Kalal M, Krasa J, Dudzak R, Burian T, Jelinek S, Chodukowski T, Rusiniak Z, Krus M, Juha L. Design of modular multi-channel electron spectrometers for application in laser matter interaction experiments at Prague Asterix Laser System. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:023514. [PMID: 33648071 DOI: 10.1063/5.0029849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes design, development, and implementation of a multi-channel magnetic electron spectrometer for the application in laser-plasma interaction experiments carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. Modular design of the spectrometer allows the setup in variable configurations to evaluate the angular distribution of hot electron emission. The angular array configuration of the electron spectrometers consists of 16 channels mounted around the target. The modules incorporate a plastic electron collimator designed to suppress the secondary radiation by absorbing the wide angle scattered electrons and photons inside the collimator. The compact model of the spectrometer measures electron energies in the range from 50 keV to 1.5MeV using ferrite magnets and from 250 keV to 5MeV using stronger neodymium magnets. An extended model of the spectrometer increases the measured energy range up to 21MeV or 35MeV using ferrite or neodymium magnets, respectively. Position to energy calibration was obtained using the particle tracking simulations. The experimental results show the measured angularly resolved electron energy distribution functions from interaction with solid targets. The angular distribution of hot electron temperature, the total flux, and the maximum electron energy show a directional dependence. The measured values of these quantities increase toward the target normal. For a copper target, the average amount of measured electron flux is 1.36 × 1011, which corresponds to the total charge of about 21 nC.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Krupka
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - S Singh
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Pisarczyk
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - J Dostal
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - M Kalal
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - J Krasa
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18221 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - R Dudzak
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Burian
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - S Jelinek
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Chodukowski
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Z Rusiniak
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Krus
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - L Juha
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
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7
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Kawahito D, Bailly-Grandvaux M, Dozières M, McGuffey C, Forestier-Colleoni P, Peebles J, Honrubia JJ, Khiar B, Hansen S, Tzeferacos P, Wei MS, Krauland CM, Gourdain P, Davies JR, Matsuo K, Fujioka S, Campbell EM, Santos JJ, Batani D, Bhutwala K, Zhang S, Beg FN. Fast electron transport dynamics and energy deposition in magnetized, imploded cylindrical plasma. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2021; 379:20200052. [PMID: 33280559 PMCID: PMC7741014 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Inertial confinement fusion approaches involve the creation of high-energy-density states through compression. High gain scenarios may be enabled by the beneficial heating from fast electrons produced with an intense laser and by energy containment with a high-strength magnetic field. Here, we report experimental measurements from a configuration integrating a magnetized, imploded cylindrical plasma and intense laser-driven electrons as well as multi-stage simulations that show fast electrons transport pathways at different times during the implosion and quantify their energy deposition contribution. The experiment consisted of a CH foam cylinder, inside an external coaxial magnetic field of 5 T, that was imploded using 36 OMEGA laser beams. Two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic modelling predicts the CH density reaches [Formula: see text], the temperature reaches 920 eV and the external B-field is amplified at maximum compression to 580 T. At pre-determined times during the compression, the intense OMEGA EP laser irradiated one end of the cylinder to accelerate relativistic electrons into the dense imploded plasma providing additional heating. The relativistic electron beam generation was simulated using a 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) code. Finally, three-dimensional hybrid-PIC simulations calculated the electron propagation and energy deposition inside the target and revealed the roles the compressed and self-generated B-fields play in transport. During a time window before the maximum compression time, the self-generated B-field on the compression front confines the injected electrons inside the target, increasing the temperature through Joule heating. For a stronger B-field seed of 20 T, the electrons are predicted to be guided into the compressed target and provide additional collisional heating. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Kawahito
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - M. Bailly-Grandvaux
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - M. Dozières
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - C. McGuffey
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - P. Forestier-Colleoni
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - J. Peebles
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - J. J. Honrubia
- E.T.S.I. Industriales, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - B. Khiar
- Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), Palaiseau 91123, France
| | - S. Hansen
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
| | - P. Tzeferacos
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - M. S. Wei
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- General Atomics, San Diego, CA 92186, USA
| | | | - P. Gourdain
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
- Extreme State Physics Laboratory, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - J. R. Davies
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - K. Matsuo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - S. Fujioka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - E. M. Campbell
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - J. J. Santos
- Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, CELIA UMR, 5107 33400 Talence, France
| | - D. Batani
- Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, CELIA UMR, 5107 33400 Talence, France
| | - K. Bhutwala
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - S. Zhang
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
| | - F. N. Beg
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417, USA
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8
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Galletti M, Bisesto FG, Anania MP, Ferrario M, Pompili R, Poyé A, Zigler A. Time-resolved characterization of ultrafast electrons in intense laser and metallic-dielectric target interaction. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:4420-4423. [PMID: 32796973 DOI: 10.1364/ol.393503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High-intensity ultrashort laser pulses interacting with thin solid targets are able to produce energetic ion beams by means of extremely large accelerating fields set by the energetic ejected electrons. The characterization of such electrons is thus important in view of a complete understanding of the acceleration process. Here, we present a complete temporal-resolved characterization of the fastest escaping hot electron component for different target materials and thicknesses, using temporal diagnostics based on electro-optical sampling with 100 fs temporal resolution. Experimental evidence of scaling laws for ultrafast electron beam parameters have been retrieved with respect to the impinging laser energy (0.4-4 J range) and to the target material, and an empirical law determining the beam parameters as a function of the target thickness is presented.
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9
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Dover NP, Nishiuchi M, Sakaki H, Kondo K, Alkhimova MA, Faenov AY, Hata M, Iwata N, Kiriyama H, Koga JK, Miyahara T, Pikuz TA, Pirozhkov AS, Sagisaka A, Sentoku Y, Watanabe Y, Kando M, Kondo K. Effect of Small Focus on Electron Heating and Proton Acceleration in Ultrarelativistic Laser-Solid Interactions. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:084802. [PMID: 32167312 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.084802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acceleration of particles from the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses up to 5×10^{21} W cm^{-2} with thin foils is investigated experimentally. The electron beam parameters varied with decreasing spot size, not just laser intensity, resulting in reduced temperatures and divergence. In particular, the temperature saturated due to insufficient acceleration length in the tightly focused spot. These dependencies affected the sheath-accelerated protons, which showed poorer spot-size scaling than widely used scaling laws. It is therefore shown that maximizing laser intensity by using very small foci has reducing returns for some applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- N P Dover
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - M Nishiuchi
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - H Sakaki
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - Ko Kondo
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - M A Alkhimova
- Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia
| | - A Ya Faenov
- Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiative, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - M Hata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - N Iwata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Kiriyama
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - J K Koga
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - T Miyahara
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
| | - T A Pikuz
- Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412, Russia
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiative, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - A S Pirozhkov
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - A Sagisaka
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - Y Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Watanabe
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
| | - M Kando
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - K Kondo
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
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10
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Williams GJ, Tommasini R, Lemos N, Park J, Chen H. High-energy differential-filtering photon spectrometer for ultraintense laser-matter interactions. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2018; 89:10F116. [PMID: 30399768 DOI: 10.1063/1.5039383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Large quantities of ultrahigh-energy x-rays are produced by petawatt-class lasers; however, spectroscopy in this range of 0.1-1 MeV is difficult due to the long photon mean free path. A novel geometry step filter to measure the high-energy bremsstrahlung emission tail has been developed for use in high energy density, short-pulse laser-matter interaction experiments. The grid design of the filters allows for the independent determination of a local background, which reduces systematic errors in the reconstructed spectra. This spectrometer was used to measure x-ray spectra for various laser and target conditions at intensities near 1 × 1018 W/cm2 where single-exponential bremsstrahlung spectra were fit to the data and show an increasing photon temperature with pulse duration for a fixed laser intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Williams
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - R Tommasini
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - N Lemos
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J Park
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Hui Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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11
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Rusby DR, Armstrong CD, Brenner CM, Clarke RJ, McKenna P, Neely D. Novel scintillator-based x-ray spectrometer for use on high repetition laser plasma interaction experiments. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2018; 89:073502. [PMID: 30068096 DOI: 10.1063/1.5019213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The characterisation of x-rays from laser-plasma interactions is of utmost importance as they can be useful for both monitoring electron dynamics and also applications in an industrial capacity. A novel versatile scintillator x-ray spectrometer diagnostic that is capable of single shot measurements of x-rays produced from laser-plasma interactions is presented here. Examples of the design and extraction of the temperature of the spectrum of x-rays produced in an intense laser-solid interaction (479 ± 39 keV) and the critical energy from a betatron source (30 ± 10 keV) are discussed. Finally, a simple optimisation process involving adjusting the scintillator thickness for a particular range of input spectra is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Rusby
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C D Armstrong
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C M Brenner
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - R J Clarke
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - P McKenna
- SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - D Neely
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
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12
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Green JS, Booth N, Dance RJ, Gray RJ, MacLellan DA, Marshall A, McKenna P, Murphy CD, Ridgers CP, Robinson APL, Rusby D, Scott RHH, Wilson L. Time-resolved measurements of fast electron recirculation for relativistically intense femtosecond scale laser-plasma interactions. Sci Rep 2018. [PMID: 29540743 PMCID: PMC5852165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22422-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A key issue in realising the development of a number of applications of high-intensity lasers is the dynamics of the fast electrons produced and how to diagnose them. We report on measurements of fast electron transport in aluminium targets in the ultra-intense, short-pulse (<50 fs) regime using a high resolution temporally and spatially resolved optical probe. The measurements show a rapidly (≈0.5c) expanding region of Ohmic heating at the rear of the target, driven by lateral transport of the fast electron population inside the target. Simulations demonstrate that a broad angular distribution of fast electrons on the order of 60° is required, in conjunction with extensive recirculation of the electron population, in order to drive such lateral transport. These results provide fundamental new insight into fast electron dynamics driven by ultra-short laser pulses, which is an important regime for the development of laser-based radiation and particle sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Green
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK.
| | - N Booth
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Dance
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - R J Gray
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D A MacLellan
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - A Marshall
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - P McKenna
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - C D Murphy
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - C P Ridgers
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - A P L Robinson
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D Rusby
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK.,Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - R H H Scott
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - L Wilson
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
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13
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Nakatsutsumi M, Sentoku Y, Korzhimanov A, Chen SN, Buffechoux S, Kon A, Atherton B, Audebert P, Geissel M, Hurd L, Kimmel M, Rambo P, Schollmeier M, Schwarz J, Starodubtsev M, Gremillet L, Kodama R, Fuchs J. Self-generated surface magnetic fields inhibit laser-driven sheath acceleration of high-energy protons. Nat Commun 2018; 9:280. [PMID: 29348402 PMCID: PMC5773560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02436-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High-intensity lasers interacting with solid foils produce copious numbers of relativistic electrons, which in turn create strong sheath electric fields around the target. The proton beams accelerated in such fields have remarkable properties, enabling ultrafast radiography of plasma phenomena or isochoric heating of dense materials. In view of longer-term multidisciplinary purposes (e.g., spallation neutron sources or cancer therapy), the current challenge is to achieve proton energies well in excess of 100 MeV, which is commonly thought to be possible by raising the on-target laser intensity. Here we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating that magnetostatic fields self-generated on the target surface may pose a fundamental limit to sheath-driven ion acceleration for high enough laser intensities. Those fields can be strong enough (~105 T at laser intensities ~1021 W cm–2) to magnetize the sheath electrons and deflect protons off the accelerating region, hence degrading the maximum energy the latter can acquire. Laser-generated ion acceleration has received increasing attention due to recent progress in super-intense lasers. Here the authors demonstrate the role of the self-generated magnetic field on the ion acceleration and limitations on the energy scaling with laser intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nakatsutsumi
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France. .,European XFEL, GmbH, Holzkoppel 4, 22869, Schenefeld, Germany. .,Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Y Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, 89557, USA
| | - A Korzhimanov
- Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - S N Chen
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France.,Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - S Buffechoux
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France
| | - A Kon
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - B Atherton
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - P Audebert
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France
| | - M Geissel
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - L Hurd
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - M Kimmel
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - P Rambo
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - M Schollmeier
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - J Schwarz
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - M Starodubtsev
- Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | | | - R Kodama
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Fuchs
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France. .,Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
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14
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Rusby D, Gray R, Butler N, Dance R, Scott G, Bagnoud V, Zielbauer B, McKenna P, Neely D. Escaping Electrons from Intense Laser-Solid Interactions as a Function of Laser Spot Size. EPJ WEB OF CONFERENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201816702001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of a high-intensity laser with a solid target produces an energetic distribution of electrons that pass into the target. These electrons reach the rear surface of the target creating strong electric potentials that act to restrict the further escape of additional electrons. The measurement of the angle, flux and spectra of the electrons that do escape gives insights to the initial interaction. Here, the escaping electrons have been measured using a differentially filtered image plate stack, from interactions with intensities from mid 1020-1017 W/cm2, where the intensity has been reduced by defocussing to increase the size of the focal spot. An increase in electron flux is initially observed as the intensity is reduced from 4x1020 to 6x1018 W/cm2. The temperature of the electron distribution is also measured and found to be relatively constant. 2D particle-in-cell modelling is used to demonstrate the importance of pre-plasma conditions in understanding these observations.
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15
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Experimental evidence for short-pulse laser heating of solid-density target to high bulk temperatures. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12144. [PMID: 28939883 PMCID: PMC5610192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11675-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Heating efficiently solid-density, or even compressed, matter has been a long-sought goal in order to allow investigation of the properties of such state of matter of interest for various domains, e.g. astrophysics. High-power lasers, pinches, and more recently Free-Electron-Lasers (FELs) have been used in this respect. Here we show that by using the high-power, high-contrast “PEARL” laser (Institute of Applied Physics-Russian Academy of Science, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) delivering 7.5 J in a 60 fs laser pulse, such coupling can be efficiently obtained, resulting in heating of a slab of solid-density Al of 0.8 µm thickness at a temperature of 300 eV, and with minimal density gradients. The characterization of the target heating is achieved combining X-ray spectrometry and measurement of the protons accelerated from the Al slab. The measured heating conditions are consistent with a three-temperatures model that simulates resistive and collisional heating of the bulk induced by the hot electrons. Such effective laser energy deposition is achieved owing to the intrinsic high contrast of the laser which results from the Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification technology it is based on, allowing to attain high target temperatures in a very compact manner, e.g. in comparison with large-scale FEL facilities.
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16
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Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration from Plasma Micro-Channel Targets. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42666. [PMID: 28218247 PMCID: PMC5316955 DOI: 10.1038/srep42666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient energy boost of the laser-accelerated ions is critical for their applications in biomedical and hadron research. Achiev-able energies continue to rise, with currently highest energies, allowing access to medical therapy energy windows. Here, a new regime of simultaneous acceleration of ~100 MeV protons and multi-100 MeV carbon-ions from plasma micro-channel targets is proposed by using a ~1020 W/cm2 modest intensity laser pulse. It is found that two trains of overdense electron bunches are dragged out from the micro-channel and effectively accelerated by the longitudinal electric-field excited in the plasma channel. With the optimized channel size, these “superponderomotive” energetic electrons can be focused on the front surface of the attached plastic substrate. The much intense sheath electric-field is formed on the rear side, leading to up to ~10-fold ionic energy increase compared to the simple planar geometry. The analytical prediction of the optimal channel size and ion maximum energies is derived, which shows good agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations.
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17
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Yang B, Qiu R, Li J, Lu W, Wu Z, Li C. Photon dose estimation from ultraintense laser–solid interactions and shielding calculation with Monte Carlo simulation. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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18
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Kojima S, Arikawa Y, Morace A, Hata M, Nagatomo H, Ozaki T, Sakata S, Lee SH, Matsuo K, Law KFF, Tosaki S, Yogo A, Johzaki T, Sunahara A, Sakagami H, Nakai M, Nishimura H, Shiraga H, Fujioka S, Azechi H. Energy distribution of fast electrons accelerated by high intensity laser pulse depending on laser pulse duration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/717/1/012102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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19
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Liao GQ, Li YT, Zhang YH, Liu H, Ge XL, Yang S, Wei WQ, Yuan XH, Deng YQ, Zhu BJ, Zhang Z, Wang WM, Sheng ZM, Chen LM, Lu X, Ma JL, Wang X, Zhang J. Demonstration of Coherent Terahertz Transition Radiation from Relativistic Laser-Solid Interactions. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 116:205003. [PMID: 27258873 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.116.205003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Coherent transition radiation in the terahertz (THz) region with energies of sub-mJ/pulse has been demonstrated by relativistic laser-driven electron beams crossing the solid-vacuum boundary. Targets including mass-limited foils and layered metal-plastic targets are used to verify the radiation mechanism and characterize the radiation properties. Observations of THz emissions as a function of target parameters agree well with the formation-zone and diffraction model of transition radiation. Particle-in-cell simulations also well reproduce the observed characteristics of THz emissions. The present THz transition radiation enables not only a potential tabletop brilliant THz source, but also a novel noninvasive diagnostic for fast electron generation and transport in laser-plasma interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qian Liao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yu-Tong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yi-Hang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xu-Lei Ge
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Su Yang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wen-Qing Wei
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yan-Qing Deng
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
| | - Bao-Jun Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Wei-Min Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zheng-Ming Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Li-Ming Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jing-Long Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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20
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Contrasting levels of absorption of intense femtosecond laser pulses by solids. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17870. [PMID: 26648399 PMCID: PMC4673463 DOI: 10.1038/srep17870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The absorption of ultraintense, femtosecond laser pulses by a solid unleashes relativistic electrons, thereby creating a regime of relativistic optics. This has enabled exciting applications of relativistic particle beams and coherent X-ray radiation, and fundamental leaps in high energy density science and laboratory astrophysics. Obviously, central to these possibilities lies the basic problem of understanding and if possible, manipulating laser absorption. Surprisingly, the absorption of intense light largely remains an open question, despite the extensive variations in target and laser pulse structures. Moreover, there are only few experimental measurements of laser absorption carried out under very limited parameter ranges. Here we present an extensive investigation of absorption of intense 30 femtosecond laser pulses by solid metal targets. The study, performed under varying laser intensity and contrast ratio over four orders of magnitude, reveals a significant and non-intuitive dependence on these parameters. For contrast ratio of 10−9 and intensity of 2 × 1019 W cm−2, three observations are revealed: preferential acceleration of electrons along the laser axis, a ponderomotive scaling of electron temperature, and red shifting of emitted second-harmonic. These point towards the role of J × B absorption mechanism at relativistic intensity. The experimental results are supported by particle-in-cell simulations.
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21
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Booth N, Robinson APL, Hakel P, Clarke RJ, Dance RJ, Doria D, Gizzi LA, Gregori G, Koester P, Labate L, Levato T, Li B, Makita M, Mancini RC, Pasley J, Rajeev PP, Riley D, Wagenaars E, Waugh JN, Woolsey NC. Laboratory measurements of resistivity in warm dense plasmas relevant to the microphysics of brown dwarfs. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8742. [PMID: 26541650 PMCID: PMC4667641 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the observation of the first brown dwarf in 1995, numerous studies have led to a better understanding of the structures of these objects. Here we present a method for studying material resistivity in warm dense plasmas in the laboratory, which we relate to the microphysics of brown dwarfs through viscosity and electron collisions. Here we use X-ray polarimetry to determine the resistivity of a sulphur-doped plastic target heated to Brown Dwarf conditions by an ultra-intense laser. The resistivity is determined by matching the plasma physics model to the atomic physics calculations of the measured large, positive, polarization. The inferred resistivity is larger than predicted using standard resistivity models, suggesting that these commonly used models will not adequately describe the resistivity of warm dense plasma related to the viscosity of brown dwarfs.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Booth
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - A P L Robinson
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - P Hakel
- Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557-0208, USA
| | - R J Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Dance
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - D Doria
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT1 4NN, UK
| | - L A Gizzi
- Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Area della Ricerca del CNR, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - G Gregori
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX4 3PU, UK
| | - P Koester
- Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Area della Ricerca del CNR, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - L Labate
- Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Area della Ricerca del CNR, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - T Levato
- Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Area della Ricerca del CNR, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - B Li
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - M Makita
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT1 4NN, UK
| | - R C Mancini
- Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557-0208, USA
| | - J Pasley
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK.,Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - P P Rajeev
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D Riley
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT1 4NN, UK
| | - E Wagenaars
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - J N Waugh
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - N C Woolsey
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, UK
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22
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Fujioka S, Johzaki T, Arikawa Y, Zhang Z, Morace A, Ikenouchi T, Ozaki T, Nagai T, Abe Y, Kojima S, Sakata S, Inoue H, Utsugi M, Hattori S, Hosoda T, Lee SH, Shigemori K, Hironaka Y, Sunahara A, Sakagami H, Mima K, Fujimoto Y, Yamanoi K, Norimatsu T, Tokita S, Nakata Y, Kawanaka J, Jitsuno T, Miyanaga N, Nakai M, Nishimura H, Shiraga H, Nagatomo H, Azechi H. Heating efficiency evaluation with mimicking plasma conditions of integrated fast-ignition experiment. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2015; 91:063102. [PMID: 26172803 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.91.063102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A series of experiments were carried out to evaluate the energy-coupling efficiency from heating laser to a fuel core in the fast-ignition scheme of laser-driven inertial confinement fusion. Although the efficiency is determined by a wide variety of complex physics, from intense laser plasma interactions to the properties of high-energy density plasmas and the transport of relativistic electron beams (REB), here we simplify the physics by breaking down the efficiency into three measurable parameters: (i) energy conversion ratio from laser to REB, (ii) probability of collision between the REB and the fusion fuel core, and (iii) fraction of energy deposited in the fuel core from the REB. These three parameters were measured with the newly developed experimental platform designed for mimicking the plasma conditions of a realistic integrated fast-ignition experiment. The experimental results indicate that the high-energy tail of REB must be suppressed to heat the fuel core efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Fujioka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Johzaki
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8527, Japan
| | - Yasunobu Arikawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Alessio Morace
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takahito Ikenouchi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ozaki
- National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nagai
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuki Abe
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Sadaoki Kojima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shohei Sakata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Inoue
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masaru Utsugi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shoji Hattori
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Hosoda
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Seung Ho Lee
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shigemori
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Youichiro Hironaka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sunahara
- Institute for Laser Technology, 2-6, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sakagami
- National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan
| | - Kunioki Mima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- The Graduate School for the Creation of New Photon Industries, 1955-1 Kurematsu, Nishiku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 141-1201, Japan
| | - Yasushi Fujimoto
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kohei Yamanoi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Norimatsu
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeki Tokita
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Nakata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Junji Kawanaka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takahisa Jitsuno
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noriaki Miyanaga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Nakai
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Nishimura
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Shiraga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hideo Nagatomo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Azechi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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23
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Morandi O, Zamanian J, Manfredi G, Hervieux PA. Quantum-relativistic hydrodynamic model for a spin-polarized electron gas interacting with light. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 90:013103. [PMID: 25122397 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.90.013103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We develop a semirelativistic quantum fluid theory based on the expansion of the Dirac Hamiltonian to second order in 1/c. By making use of the Madelung representation of the wave function, we derive a set of hydrodynamic equations that comprises a continuity equation, an Euler equation for the mean velocity, and an evolution equation for the electron spin density. This hydrodynamic model is then applied to study the dynamics of a dense and weakly relativistic electron plasma. In particular, we investigate the impact of the quantum-relativistic spin effects on the Faraday rotation in a one-dimensional plasma slab irradiated by an x-ray laser source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Morandi
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg and Labex NIE, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504 BP 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Jens Zamanian
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg and Labex NIE, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504 BP 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Giovanni Manfredi
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg and Labex NIE, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504 BP 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Paul-Antoine Hervieux
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg and Labex NIE, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504 BP 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
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24
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Levy MC, Wilks SC, Tabak M, Libby SB, Baring MG. Petawatt laser absorption bounded. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4149. [PMID: 24938656 PMCID: PMC4083416 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of petawatt (10(15) W) lasers with solid matter forms the basis for advanced scientific applications such as table-top particle accelerators, ultrafast imaging systems and laser fusion. Key metrics for these applications relate to absorption, yet conditions in this regime are so nonlinear that it is often impossible to know the fraction of absorbed light f, and even the range of f is unknown. Here using a relativistic Rankine-Hugoniot-like analysis, we show for the first time that f exhibits a theoretical maximum and minimum. These bounds constrain nonlinear absorption mechanisms across the petawatt regime, forbidding high absorption values at low laser power and low absorption values at high laser power. For applications needing to circumvent the absorption bounds, these results will accelerate a shift from solid targets, towards structured and multilayer targets, and lead the development of new materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Levy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Scott C. Wilks
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Max Tabak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Stephen B. Libby
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Matthew G. Baring
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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25
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Ge ZY, Zhuo HB, Yu W, Yang XH, Yu TP, Li XH, Zou DB, Ma YY, Yin Y, Shao FQ, Peng XJ. Electron density compression and oscillating effects on laser energy absorption in overdense plasma targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:033106. [PMID: 24730955 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.033106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
An analytical model for energy absorption during the interaction of an ultrashort, ultraintense laser with an overdense plasma is proposed. Both the compression effect of the electron density profile and the oscillation of the electron plasma surface are self-consistently included, which exhibit significant influences on the laser energy absorption. Based on our model, the general scaling law of the compression effect depending on laser strength and initial density is derived, and the temporal variation of the laser absorption due to the boundary oscillating effect is presented. It is found that due to the oscillation of the electron plasma surface, the laser absorption rate will vibrate periodically at ω or 2ω frequency for the p-polarized and s-polarized laser, respectively. The effect of plasma collision on the laser absorption has also been investigated, which shows a considerable rise in absorption with increasing electron-ion collision frequency for both polarizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Y Ge
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - H B Zhuo
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - W Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China
| | - X H Yang
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - T P Yu
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - X H Li
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - D B Zou
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - Y Y Ma
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - Y Yin
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - F Q Shao
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, P. R. China
| | - X J Peng
- Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100088, P. R. China
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26
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Jiang S, Krygier AG, Schumacher DW, Akli KU, Freeman RR. Effects of front-surface target structures on properties of relativistic laser-plasma electrons. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:013106. [PMID: 24580345 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.013106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We report the results of a study of the role of prescribed geometrical structures on the front of a target in determining the energy and spatial distribution of relativistic laser-plasma electrons. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation studies apply to short-pulse, high-intensity laser pulses, and indicate that a judicious choice of target front-surface geometry provides the realistic possibility of greatly enhancing the yield of high-energy electrons while simultaneously confining the emission to narrow (<5°) angular cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jiang
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - A G Krygier
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - D W Schumacher
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - K U Akli
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - R R Freeman
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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27
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Dubois JL, Lubrano-Lavaderci F, Raffestin D, Ribolzi J, Gazave J, Compant La Fontaine A, d'Humières E, Hulin S, Nicolaï P, Poyé A, Tikhonchuk VT. Target charging in short-pulse-laser-plasma experiments. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:013102. [PMID: 24580341 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.013102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Interaction of high-intensity laser pulses with solid targets results in generation of large quantities of energetic electrons that are the origin of various effects such as intense x-ray emission, ion acceleration, and so on. Some of these electrons are escaping the target, leaving behind a significant positive electric charge and creating a strong electromagnetic pulse long after the end of the laser pulse. We propose here a detailed model of the target electric polarization induced by a short and intense laser pulse and an escaping electron bunch. A specially designed experiment provides direct measurements of the target polarization and the discharge current in the function of the laser energy, pulse duration, and target size. Large-scale numerical simulations describe the energetic electron generation and their emission from the target. The model, experiment, and numerical simulations demonstrate that the hot-electron ejection may continue long after the laser pulse ends, enhancing significantly the polarization charge.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-L Dubois
- CEA/DAM/CESTA, BP 12, Le Barp 33405, France
| | | | | | - J Ribolzi
- CEA/DAM/CESTA, BP 12, Le Barp 33405, France
| | - J Gazave
- CEA/DAM/CESTA, BP 12, Le Barp 33405, France
| | | | - E d'Humières
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence 33405, France
| | - S Hulin
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence 33405, France
| | - Ph Nicolaï
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence 33405, France
| | - A Poyé
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence 33405, France
| | - V T Tikhonchuk
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence 33405, France
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28
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Scott RHH, Clark EL, Pérez F, Streeter MJV, Davies JR, Schlenvoigt HP, Santos JJ, Hulin S, Lancaster KL, Baton SD, Rose SJ, Norreys PA. Measuring fast electron spectra and laser absorption in relativistic laser-solid interactions using differential bremsstrahlung photon detectors. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2013; 84:083505. [PMID: 24007063 DOI: 10.1063/1.4816332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A photon detector suitable for the measurement of bremsstrahlung spectra generated in relativistically intense laser-solid interactions is described. The Monte Carlo techniques used to extract the fast electron spectrum and laser energy absorbed into forward-going fast electrons are detailed. A relativistically intense laser-solid experiment using frequency doubled laser light is used to demonstrate the effective operation of the detector. The experimental data were interpreted using the 3-spatial-dimension Monte Carlo code MCNPX [D. Pelowitz, MCNPX User's Manual Version 2.6.0, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2008], and the fast electron temperature found to be 125 keV.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H H Scott
- Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
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29
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Daido H, Nishiuchi M, Pirozhkov AS. Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2012; 75:056401. [PMID: 22790586 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/75/5/056401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
For many years, laser-driven ion acceleration, mainly proton acceleration, has been proposed and a number of proof-of-principle experiments have been carried out with lasers whose pulse duration was in the nanosecond range. In the 1990s, ion acceleration in a relativistic plasma was demonstrated with ultra-short pulse lasers based on the chirped pulse amplification technique which can provide not only picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse duration, but simultaneously ultra-high peak power of terawatt to petawatt levels. Starting from the year 2000, several groups demonstrated low transverse emittance, tens of MeV proton beams with a conversion efficiency of up to several percent. The laser-accelerated particle beams have a duration of the order of a few picoseconds at the source, an ultra-high peak current and a broad energy spectrum, which make them suitable for many, including several unique, applications. This paper reviews, firstly, the historical background including the early laser-matter interaction studies on energetic ion acceleration relevant to inertial confinement fusion. Secondly, we describe several implemented and proposed mechanisms of proton and/or ion acceleration driven by ultra-short high-intensity lasers. We pay special attention to relatively simple models of several acceleration regimes. The models connect the laser, plasma and proton/ion beam parameters, predicting important features, such as energy spectral shape, optimum conditions and scalings under these conditions for maximum ion energy, conversion efficiency, etc. The models also suggest possible ways to manipulate the proton/ion beams by tailoring the target and irradiation conditions. Thirdly, we review experimental results on proton/ion acceleration, starting with the description of driving lasers. We list experimental results and show general trends of parameter dependences and compare them with the theoretical predictions and simulations. The fourth topic includes a review of scientific, industrial and medical applications of laser-driven proton or ion sources, some of which have already been established, while the others are yet to be demonstrated. In most applications, the laser-driven ion sources are complementary to the conventional accelerators, exhibiting significantly different properties. Finally, we summarize the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Daido
- Applied Laser Technology Institute, Tsuruga Head Office, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kizaki, Tsuruga-shi, Fukui-ken 914-8585, Japan.
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30
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Kluge T, Cowan T, Debus A, Schramm U, Zeil K, Bussmann M. Electron temperature scaling in laser interaction with solids. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 107:205003. [PMID: 22181740 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.205003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A precise knowledge of the temperature and number of hot electrons generated in the interaction of short-pulse high-intensity lasers with solids is crucial for harnessing the energy of a laser pulse in applications such as laser-driven ion acceleration or fast ignition. Nevertheless, present scaling laws tend to overestimate the hot electron temperature when compared to experiment and simulations. We present a novel approach that is based on a weighted average of the kinetic energy of an ensemble of electrons. We find that the scaling of electron energy with laser intensity can be derived from a general Lorentz invariant electron distribution ansatz that does not rely on a specific model of energy absorption. The scaling derived is in perfect agreement with simulation results and clearly follows the trend seen in recent experiments, especially at high laser intensities where other scalings fail to describe the simulations accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kluge
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Germany.
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31
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Tikhonchuk V, Mima K. Alternative schemes for the inertial fusion energy. FUSION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2011.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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32
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Mason RJ, Faehl R, Kirkpatrick R, Ma T, Wei MS, Beg FN, Key MH, Stephens RB. ePLAS modeling of hot electron transport in nail-wire targets. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/244/2/022047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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33
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Kemp AJ, Sentoku Y, Tabak M. Hot-electron energy coupling in ultraintense laser-matter interaction. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2009; 79:066406. [PMID: 19658611 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.79.066406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the hydrodynamic response of plasma gradients during the interaction with ultraintense energetic laser pulses using kinetic particle simulations. Energetic laser pulses are capable of compressing preformed plasma gradients over short times, while accelerating low-density plasma backward. As light is absorbed on a steepened interface, hot-electron temperature and coupling efficiency drop below the ponderomotive scaling and we are left with an absorption mechanism that strongly relies on the electrostatic potential caused by low-density preformed plasma. We describe this process, discuss properties of the resulting electron spectra and identify the parameter regime where strong compression occurs. Finally, we discuss implications for fast ignition and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Kemp
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
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