Preplasma effects on the generation of high-energy protons in ultraintense laser interaction with foil targets

Journal Article · Sun Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4843975· OSTI ID:22218360

Zheng, F. L.; Huang, T. W. ^[1]; Wu, S. Z.; Zhang, H.; He, X. T. ^[1]; Yu, M. Y. ^[2]; Zhou, C. T. ^[1]

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1. Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
2. Institute of Fusion Theory and Simulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

It is shown that the intense quasistatic electric and magnetic fields self-generated near the axis of the laser-driven channel in an appropriately profiled preplasma during ultraintense laser interaction with a thin target can create dense relativistic electron bunches. The latter easily penetrate through the target and can greatly enhance the sheath field at the rear, resulting in significant increase in the laser-to-ion energy conversion efficiency and the maximum energy of the target normal sheath accelerated ions. Particle-in-cell simulations show that with a hydrogen targets a proton beam of peak energy ∼38 MeV and energy conversion efficiency ≥6.5% can be produced by a linearly polarized 5 × 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} laser. An analytical model is also proposed and its results agree well with those of the simulations.

• OSTI ID: 22218360
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRONS
ENERGY CONVERSION
FOILS
HYDROGEN
IONS
LASER TARGETS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEV RANGE
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
PROTON BEAMS
PROTONS
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA