Advanced Laser Particle Accelerator Development at LANL: From Fast Ignition to Radiation Oncology

Journal Article · Thu Nov 04 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3520414· OSTI ID:21428859

Flippo, K A; Offermann, D T; Cobble, J A; Schmitt, M J; Gautier, D C; Kwan, T J; Montgomery, D S ^[1]; Gaillard, S A; Kluge, T; Bussmann, M; Cowan, T E ^[2]; Bartal, T; Beg, F N ^[3]; Gall, B; Kovaleski, S ^[4]; Geissel, M; Schollmeier, M ^[5]; Korgan, G; Malekos, S ^[6]; Lockard, T ^[7]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO BOX 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)
2. ForschungsZentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden (Germany)
3. University of California, San Diego, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dept., La Jolla, CA 92038 (United States)
4. University of Missouri, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Columbia MO 65211 (United States)
5. Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States)
6. Nanolabz, 661 Sierra Rose Dr., Reno, NV 89511 (United States)
7. University of Nevada, Physics, Reno, NV 89557 (United States)

Laser-plasma accelerated ion and electron beam sources are an emerging field with vast prospects, and promise many superior applications in a variety of fields such as hadron cancer therapy, compact radioisotope generation, table-top nuclear physics, laboratory astrophysics, nuclear forensics, waste transmutation, Special Nuclear Material (SNM) detection, and inertial fusion energy. LANL is engaged in several projects seeking to develop compact high-current and high-energy ion and electron sources. We are especially interested in two specific applications: ion fast ignition/capsule perturbation and radiation oncology. Laser-to-beam conversion efficiencies of over 10% are needed for practical applications, and we have already shown inherent efficiencies of >5% from flat foils, on Trident using only a 5th of the intensity and energy of the Nova Petawatt laser. With clever target designs, like structured curved cone targets, we have also been able to achieve major ion energy gains, leading to the highest energy laser-accelerated proton beams in the world [3]. These new target designs promise to help usher in the next generation of particle sources realizing the potential of laser-accelerated beams.

• OSTI ID: 21428859
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1299, Issue 1; Conference: 14. advanced accelerator concepts workshop, Annapolis, MD (United States), 13-19 Jun 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3520414; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ACCELERATORS
BEAM PRODUCTION
CONVERSION
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON SOURCES
ICF DEVICES
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
INERTIAL FUSION DRIVERS
NEOPLASMS
PETAWATT POWER RANGE
PROTON BEAMS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOTHERAPY
THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION
BEAMS
CONFINEMENT
DISEASES
ISOTOPES
LEPTON BEAMS
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEON BEAMS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
POWER RANGE
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOLOGY
THERAPY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES