Cyclotron effects on double layer ion acceleration from laser-irradiated thin foils
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi-110016 (India)
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)
The effect of an axial magnetic field on laser driven ion acceleration from a thin overdense plasma slab is investigated. The magnetic field modifies the refractive index of the plasma and the axial ponderomotive force. The latter compresses the electrons until the space charge field thus created offsets it. When the foil thickness is just bigger than the length at which this happens, the compressed electrons and a thin ion layer detach from the foil forming a double layer that gets accelerated by the laser radiation pressure force. The optimum thickness of laser foil, DELTA{sub s}, for maximum acceleration is sensitive to the polarization of the laser pulse. For right circular polarization it increases, while for left circular polarization it decreases with the magnetic field. The ion energy gain is sensitive to a{sub 0}{sup 2}omega{sup 2}/DELTA{sub s}omega{sub p}{sup 2} (where a{sub 0} is the laser field strength, omega{sub p} is the plasma frequency, and omega is the laser frequency) and can be tuned by varying the magnetic field.
- OSTI ID:
- 21344669
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3278600; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Laser Acceleration of Monoenergetic Protons Trapped in Moving Double Layer
Ion Acceleration from the Interaction of Ultra-Intense Lasers with Solid Foils
Related Subjects
ACCELERATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
FOILS
IONS
LASER RADIATION
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
REFRACTIVE INDEX
SPACE CHARGE
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
RADIATIONS