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Title: Fast-Ion Energy-Flux Enhancement from Ultrathin Foils Irradiated by Intense and High-Contrast Short Laser Pulses

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
;  [1]; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. STC Vavilov State Optical Institute, 12 Birzhevaya line, 199034 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)
  2. CEA, IRAMIS, SPAM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
  3. Laser Physics and Nonlinear Optics Group, MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

Recent significant improvements of the contrast ratio of chirped pulse amplified pulses allows us to extend the applicability domain of laser accelerated protons to very thin targets. In this framework, we propose an analytical model particularly suitable to reproducing ion laser acceleration experiments using high intensity and ultrahigh contrast pulses. The model is based on a self-consistent solution of the Poisson equation using an adiabatic approximation for laser generated fast electrons which allows one to find the target thickness maximizing the maximum proton (and ion) energies and population as a function of the laser parameters. Model furnished values show a good agreement with experimental data and 2D particle-in-cell simulation results.

OSTI ID:
21179802
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.155002; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English