Proton Acceleration with High-Intensity Ultrahigh-Contrast Laser Pulses

Journal Article · Fri Nov 02 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.99.185002· OSTI ID:21024385

Ceccotti, T; Levy, A; Popescu, H; Reau, F; D'Oliveira, P; Monot, P; Martin, Ph ^[1]; Geindre, J P ^[2]; Lefebvre, E ^[3]

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1. Service des Photons, Atomes et Molecules, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, DSM/DRECAM, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette (France)
2. LULI, UMR7605, CNRS-CEA-Ecole Polytechnique-Paris 6, 91128 Palaiseau (France)
3. Departement de Physique Theorique et Appliquee, CEA/DAM Ile-de-France, BP 12, 91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France)

We report on simultaneous measurements of backward- and forward-accelerated protons spectra when an ultrahigh intensity ({approx}5x10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}), ultrahigh contrast (>10{sup 10}) laser pulse interacts with foils of thickness ranging from 0.08 to 105 {mu}m. Under such conditions, free of preplasma originating from ionization of the laser-irradiated surface, we show that the maximum proton energies are proportional to the p component of the laser electric field only and not to the ponderomotive force and that the characteristics of the proton beams originating from both target sides are almost identical. All these points have been corroborated by extensive 1D and 2D particle-in-cell simulations showing a very good agreement with the experimental data.

• OSTI ID: 21024385
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 18; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.185002; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
FOILS
IONIZATION
LASERS
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
PROTON BEAMS
PROTON SPECTRA
PROTONS
PULSES
SIMULATION