Electron, photon, and ion beams from the relativistic interaction of Petawatt laser pulses with solid targets
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore California 94550 (United States)
In recent Petawatt laser experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, several hundred joules of 1 {mu}m laser light in 0.5-5.0-ps pulses with intensities up to 3x10{sup 20} W cm{sup -2} were incident on solid targets and produced a strongly relativistic interaction. The energy content, spectra, and angular patterns of the photon, electron, and ion radiations have all been diagnosed in a number of ways, including several novel (to laser physics) nuclear activation techniques. About 40%-50% of the laser energy is converted to broadly beamed hot electrons. Their beam centroid direction varies from shot to shot, but the resulting bremsstrahlung beam has a consistent width. Extraordinarily luminous ion beams (primarily protons) almost precisely normal to the rear of various targets are seen--up to 3x10{sup 13} protons with kT{sub ion}{approx}several MeV representing {approx}6% of the laser energy. Ion energies up to at least 55 MeV are observed. The ions appear to originate from the rear target surfaces. The edge of the ion beam is very sharp, and collimation increases with ion energy. At the highest energies, a narrow feature appears in the ion spectra, and the apparent size of the emitting spot is smaller than the full back surface area. Any ion emission from the front of the targets is much less than from the rear and is not sharply beamed. The hot electrons generate a Debye sheath with electrostatic fields of order MV per micron, which apparently accelerate the ions. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.
- OSTI ID:
- 20216072
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 7, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: May 2000; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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