Dependence on pulse duration and foil thickness in high-contrast-laser proton acceleration

Journal Article · Mon Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVE.81.036405· OSTI ID:21344722

Flacco, A; Sylla, F; Malka, V ^[1]; Veltcheva, M ^[1]; Carrie, M; Nuter, R; Lefebvre, E ^[2]; Batani, D ^[3]

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1. Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquee, ENSTA-ParisTech, Ecole Polytechnique-ParisTech, CNRS UMR 7639, Chemin de la Huniere, 91761 Palaiseau Cedex (France)
2. CEA, DAM, DIF, 91297 Arpajon (France)
3. Dipartimento di Fisica 'G. Occhialini', Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano (Italy)

Experimental measurements of proton acceleration with high intensity and high-contrast short laser pulses have been carried out over an order of magnitude range in target thickness and laser pulse duration. The dependence of the maximum proton energy with these parameters is qualitatively supported by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. They evidence that two regimes of proton acceleration can take place, depending on the ratio between the density gradient and the hot electron Debye length at the rear target surface. As this ratio can be affected by the target thickness, a complex interplay between pulse duration and target thickness is observed. Measurements and simulations support unexpected variations in the laser absorption and hot electron temperature with the pulse duration and laser intensity, for which density profile modification at the target front surface is the controlling parameter.

• OSTI ID: 21344722
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print), Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print) Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 81; ISSN 1539-3755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ACCELERATION
BARYONS
DEBYE LENGTH
DENSITY
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FOILS
HADRONS
LASERS
LENGTH
LEPTONS
NUCLEONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROTONS
PULSES
SIMULATION
SORPTION
THICKNESS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS