High-intensity laser-driven proton acceleration enhancement from hydrogen containing ultrathin targets

Journal Article · Mon Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4824361· OSTI ID:22217938

Dollar, F.; Reed, S. A.; Matsuoka, T.; Bulanov, S. S.; Chvykov, V.; Kalintchenko, G.; McGuffey, C.; Rousseau, P.; Thomas, A. G. R.; Willingale, L.; Yanovsky, V.; Krushelnick, K.; Maksimchuk, A. ^[1]; Litzenberg, D. W. ^[2]

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1. Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

Laser driven proton acceleration experiments from micron and submicron thick targets using high intensity (2 × 10{sup 21} W/cm{sup 2}), high contrast (10{sup −15}) laser pulses show an enhancement of maximum energy when hydrogen containing targets were used instead of non-hydrogen containing. In our experiments, using thin (<1μm) plastic foil targets resulted in maximum proton energies that were consistently 20%–100% higher than when equivalent thickness inorganic targets, including Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and Al, were used. Proton energies up to 20 MeV were measured with a flux of 10{sup 7} protons/MeV/sr.

• OSTI ID: 22217938
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
FOILS
HYDROGEN
LASERS
MEV RANGE 10-100
PLASMA GUNS
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PLASTICS
PROTONS
PULSES
SILICON NITRIDES
THICKNESS