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Title: Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions

Abstract

Classical relativistic Monte Carlo simulations of petawatt laser acceleration of electrons bound initially in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions show that both the angles and energies of the laser-accelerated electrons depend on the initial ion positions with respect to the laser focus. Electrons bound in ions located after the laser focus generally acquire higher (≈GeV) energies and are ejected at smaller angles with respect to the laser beam. Our simulations assume a tightly-focused linearly-polarized laser pulse with intensity approaching 10{sup 22 }W/cm{sup 2}. Up to fifth order corrections to the paraxial approximation of the laser field in the focal region are taken into account. In addition to the laser intensity, the Rayleigh length in the focal region is shown to play a significant role in maximizing the final energy of the accelerated electrons. Results are presented for both Ne{sup 9+} and Ar{sup 17+} target ions.

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0299 (United States)
  2. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623-1299 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22493761
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 9; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; CORRECTIONS; ELECTRONS; HYDROGEN; LASER RADIATION; MONTE CARLO METHOD; PETAWATT POWER RANGE; PHOTON BEAMS; PULSES; RAYLEIGH SCATTERING; RELATIVISTIC RANGE

Citation Formats

Pi, Liang-Wen, Starace, Anthony F., Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030, and Hu, S. X. Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4930218.
Pi, Liang-Wen, Starace, Anthony F., Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030, & Hu, S. X. Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4930218
Pi, Liang-Wen, Starace, Anthony F., Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030, and Hu, S. X. 2015. "Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4930218.
@article{osti_22493761,
title = {Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions},
author = {Pi, Liang-Wen and Starace, Anthony F. and Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030 and Hu, S. X.},
abstractNote = {Classical relativistic Monte Carlo simulations of petawatt laser acceleration of electrons bound initially in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions show that both the angles and energies of the laser-accelerated electrons depend on the initial ion positions with respect to the laser focus. Electrons bound in ions located after the laser focus generally acquire higher (≈GeV) energies and are ejected at smaller angles with respect to the laser beam. Our simulations assume a tightly-focused linearly-polarized laser pulse with intensity approaching 10{sup 22 }W/cm{sup 2}. Up to fifth order corrections to the paraxial approximation of the laser field in the focal region are taken into account. In addition to the laser intensity, the Rayleigh length in the focal region is shown to play a significant role in maximizing the final energy of the accelerated electrons. Results are presented for both Ne{sup 9+} and Ar{sup 17+} target ions.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4930218},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22493761}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 9,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}