Radiochromic film imaging spectroscopy of laser-accelerated proton beams

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3086424· OSTI ID:21266765

Nuernberg, F; Schollmeier, M; Harres, K; Roth, M ^[1]; Brambrink, E ^[2]; Blazevic, A ^[3]; Carroll, D C; McKenna, P ^[4]; Flippo, K; Gautier, D C; Hegelich, B M ^[5]; Geissel, M ^[6]; Lundh, O ^[7]; Markey, K ^[8]; Neely, D ^[9]; Schreiber, J ^[10]

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1. Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany)
2. Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau (France)
3. GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany)
4. Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, SUPA, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)
5. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544 (United States)
6. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
7. Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, S-22100 Lund (Sweden)
8. School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)
9. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, STFC, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)
10. Fakultaet fuer Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)

This article reports on an experimental method to fully reconstruct laser-accelerated proton beam parameters called radiochromic film imaging spectroscopy (RIS). RIS allows for the characterization of proton beams concerning real and virtual source size, envelope- and microdivergence, normalized transverse emittance, phase space, and proton spectrum. This technique requires particular targets and a high resolution proton detector. Therefore thin gold foils with a microgrooved rear side were manufactured and characterized. Calibrated GafChromic radiochromic film (RCF) types MD-55, HS, and HD-810 in stack configuration were used as spatial and energy resolved film detectors. The principle of the RCF imaging spectroscopy was demonstrated at four different laser systems. This can be a method to characterize a laser system with respect to its proton-acceleration capability. In addition, an algorithm to calculate the spatial and energy resolved proton distribution has been developed and tested to get a better idea of laser-accelerated proton beams and their energy deposition with respect to further applications.

• OSTI ID: 21266765
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 80; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
ALGORITHMS
CONFIGURATION
DISTRIBUTION
FILMS
FOILS
GOLD
LASERS
PHASE SPACE
PLASMA GUNS
PROTON BEAMS
PROTON DETECTION
PROTON SPECTRA
PROTONS
RESOLUTION
SPECTROSCOPY