A detailed examination of laser-ion acceleration mechanisms in the relativistic transparency regime using tracers

Stark, David J.; Yin, Lin; Albright, Brian J.; Nystrom, William; Bird, Robert

doi:10.1063/1.5028129

A detailed examination of laser-ion acceleration mechanisms in the relativistic transparency regime using tracers

Journal Article · Thu Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5028129· OSTI ID:1482934

^[1]; Yin, Lin ^[1]; Albright, Brian J. ^[1]; Nystrom, William ^[1]; Bird, Robert ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Here we present a particle-in-cell study of linearly polarized laser-ion acceleration systems, in which we use both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) simulations to characterize the ion acceleration mechanisms in targets which become transparent to the laser pulse during irradiation. First, we perform a target length scan to optimize the peak ion energies in both 2D and 3D, and the predictive capabilities of 2D simulations are discussed. Tracer analysis allows us to isolate the acceleration into stages of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), hole boring (HB), and break-out afterburner (BOA) acceleration, which vary in effectiveness based on the simulation parameters. The thinnest targets reveal that enhanced TNSA is responsible for accelerating the most energetic ions, whereas the thickest targets have ions undergoing successive phases of HB and TNSA (in 2D) or BOA and TNSA (in 3D); HB is not observed to be a dominant acceleration mechanism in the 3D simulations. It is in the intermediate optimal regime, both when the laser breaks through the target with appreciable amplitude and when there is enough plasma to form a sustained high density flow, that BOA is most effective and is responsible for the most energetic ions. Eliminating the transverse laser spot size effects by performing a plane wave simulation, we can isolate with greater confidence the underlying physics behind the ion dynamics we observe. Specifically, supplemented by wavelet and FFT analyses, we match the post-transparency BOA acceleration with a wave-particle resonance with a high-amplitude low-frequency electrostatic wave of increasing phase velocity, consistent with that predicted by the Buneman instability.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: LANL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 1482934

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1434053

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--18-21781

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 25; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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