Dynamics of electric fields driving the laser acceleration of multi-MeV protons

Year: 2005

Authors: Romagnani L., Fuchs J., Borghesi M., Antici P., Audebert P., Ceccherini F., Cowan T., Grismayer T., Kar S., Macchi A., Mora P., Pretzler G., Schiavi A., Toncian T., Willi O.

Autors Affiliation: School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation des Lasers Intenses (LULI), UMR 7605 CNRS-CEA-Ecole Polytechnique-Univ, Paris VI, 91128 Palaiseau, France; Physics Department, MS-220, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA; Dipartimento di Energetica, Universita\’ di Roma 1 \”La Sapienza\”, Roma, Italy; Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia (INFM), Dipartimento di Fisica \”E. Fermi\” Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Centre de Physique Theorique, UMR 7644 CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France; Institut fur Laser-und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat, Dusseldorf, Germany

Abstract: The acceleration of multi-MeV protons from the rear surface of thin solid foils irradiated by an intense (similar to 10(18) W/cm(2)) and short (similar to 1.5 ps) laser pulse has been investigated using transverse proton probing. The structure of the electric field driving the expansion of the proton beam has been resolved with high spatial and temporal resolution. The main features of the experimental observations, namely, an initial intense sheath field and a late time field peaking at the beam front, are consistent with the results from particle-in-cell and fluid simulations of thin plasma expansion into a vacuum.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 95 (19)      Pages from: 195001-1  to: 195001-4

KeyWords: laser-plasma interactions; ion acceleration by laser beams; particle-in-cell simulations
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.195001

ImpactFactor: 7.489
Citations: 261
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-11-24
References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)

Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click here
Connecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here