| 1. |
- Batani, D., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of laser prepulse on proton generation
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002. ; 620:1, s. 76-82
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Low-intensity laser prepulse ( < 10(13) W/cm(2), ns duration) are a major issue in experiments on laser-generation of protons, often limiting the performances of proton sources produced by high-intensity lasers (approximate to 10(19) W/cm(2), ps or fs duration) Several effects are associated to the prepulse and are discussed in this contribution: i) Destruction of thin foil targets by the shock generated by the laser prepulse ii) Creation of preplasma on target front side affecting laser absorption iii) Deformation of target rear side iv) Whole displacement of thin foil targets affecting focusing condition In particular, we show that under oblique high-intensity irradiation and for low prepulse intensities, the proton beam is directed away from the target normal. Deviation is towards the laser forward direction, with an angle that increases with the level and duration of the ASE pedestal. Also, for a given laser pulse, beam deviation increases with proton energy. The observations are discussed in terms of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration, in combination with a laser-controllable shock wave locally deforming the target surface. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Batani, D., et al.
(författare)
-
Effects of laser prepulse on proton generation
- 2010
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Ingår i: Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1042-0150 .- 1029-4953. ; 165:6-10, s. 794-802
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Prepulse is a major issue for laser generation of protons, often limiting the performances of laser sources. Here, we show the use of prepulse (1013W/cm2, ns duration) to actively manipulate the proton beam direction. Under oblique high-intensity irradiation (approximate to 1019W/cm2, ps duration) of the thin foil target, and for low prepulse intensities, the proton beam is directed away from the ounperturbedo target normal. Observations are discussed in terms of target normal sheath acceleration, in combination with a laser-controllable shock locally deforming the target surface.
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| 3. |
- Brenner, C. M., et al.
(författare)
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Dependence of laser accelerated protons on laser energy following the interaction of defocused, intense laser pulses with ultra-thin targets
- 2011
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Ingår i: Laser and Particle Beams. - 0263-0346. ; 29:3, s. 345-351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The scaling of the flux and maximum energy of laser-driven sheath-accelerated protons has been investigated as a function of laser pulse energy in the range of 15-380 mJ at intensities of 10(16)-10(18) W/cm(2). The pulse duration and target thickness were fixed at 40 fs and 25 nm, respectively, while the laser focal spot size and drive energy were varied. Our results indicate that while the maximum proton energy is dependent on the laser energy and laser spot diameter, the proton flux is primarily related to the laser pulse energy under the conditions studied here. Our measurements show that increasing the laser energy by an order of magnitude results in a more than 500-fold increase in the observed proton flux. Whereas, an order of magnitude increase in the laser intensity generated by decreasing the laser focal spot size, at constant laser energy, gives rise to less than a tenfold increase in observed proton flux.
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| 4. |
- Carroll, D. C., et al.
(författare)
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A modified Thomson parabola spectrometer for high resolution multi-MeV ion measurements-Application to laser-driven ion acceleration
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002. ; 620:1, s. 23-27
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A novel Thomson parabola ion spectrometer design is presented, in which a gradient electric field configuration is employed to enable a compact design capable of high resolution measurements of ion energy and charge-to-mass ratio. Practical issues relating to the use of the spectrometer for measurement of ion acceleration in high-power laser-plasma experiments are discussed. Example experimental results for ion acceleration from petawatt-class laser interactions with thin gold target foils are presented. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Coury, M., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of laser irradiated spot size on energetic electron injection and proton acceleration in foil targets
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 100:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of irradiated spot size on laser energy coupling to electrons, and subsequently to protons, in the interaction of intense laser pulses with foil targets is investigated experimentally. Proton acceleration is characterized for laser intensities ranging from 2 x 10(18) - 6 x 10(20) W/cm(2), by (1) variation of the laser energy for a fixed irradiated spot size, and (2) by variation of the spot size for a fixed energy. At a given laser pulse intensity, the maximum proton energy is higher under defocus illumination compared to tight focus and the results are explained in terms of geometrical changes to the hot electron injection. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3685615]
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| 6. |
- Coury, M., et al.
(författare)
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Injection and transport properties of fast electrons in ultraintense laser-solid interactions
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 20:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fast electron injection and transport in solid foils irradiated by sub-picosecond-duration laser pulses with peak intensity equal to 4 x 10(20)W/cm(2) is investigated experimentally and via 3D simulations. The simulations are performed using a hybrid-particle-in-cell (PIC) code for a range of fast electron beam injection conditions, with and without inclusion of self-generated resistive magnetic fields. The resulting fast electron beam transport properties are used in rear-surface plasma expansion calculations to compare with measurements of proton acceleration, as a function of target thickness. An injection half-angle of similar to 50 degrees - 70 degrees is inferred, which is significantly larger than that derived from previous experiments under similar conditions. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4799726]
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| 7. |
- Gray, R. J., et al.
(författare)
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Laser pulse propagation and enhanced energy coupling to fast electrons in dense plasma gradients
- 2014
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Ingår i: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Laser energy absorption to fast electrons during the interaction of an ultra-intense (10(20) Wcm(-2)), picosecond laser pulse with a solid is investigated, experimentally and numerically, as a function of the plasma density scale length at the irradiated surface. It is shown that there is an optimum density gradient for efficient energy coupling to electrons and that this arises due to strong self-focusing and channeling driving energy absorption over an extended length in the preformed plasma. At longer density gradients the laser filaments, resulting in significantly lower overall energy coupling. As the scale length is further increased, a transition to a second laser energy absorption process is observed experimentally via multiple diagnostics. The results demonstrate that it is possible to significantly enhance laser energy absorption and coupling to fast electrons by dynamically controlling the plasma density gradient.
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| 8. |
- Green, J. S., et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced proton flux in the MeV range by defocused laser irradiation
- 2010
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Ingår i: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thin Al foils (50 nm and 6 mu m) were irradiated at intensities of up to 2x10(19) W cm(-2) using high contrast (10(8)) laser pulses. Ion emission from the rear of the targets was measured using a scintillator-based Thomson parabola and beam sampling 'footprint' monitor. The variation of the ion spectra and beam profile with focal spot size was systematically studied. The results show that while the maximum proton energy is achieved around tight focus for both target thicknesses, as the spot size increases the ion flux at lower energies is seen to peak at significantly increased spot sizes. Measurements of the proton footprint, however, show that the off-axis proton flux is highest at tight focus, indicating that a previously identified proton deflection mechanism may alter the on-axis spectrum. One-dimensional particle-in-cell modelling of the experiment supports our hypothesis that the observed change in spectra with focal spot size is due to the competition of two effects: decrease in laser intensity and an increase in proton emission area.
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| 9. |
- MacLellan, D. A., et al.
(författare)
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Annular Fast Electron Transport in Silicon Arising from Low-Temperature Resistivity
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114. ; 111:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fast electron transport in Si, driven by ultraintense laser pulses, is investigated experimentally and via 3D hybrid particle-in-cell simulations. A transition from a Gaussian-like to an annular fast electron beam profile is demonstrated and explained by resistively generated magnetic fields. The results highlight the potential to completely transform the beam transport pattern by tailoring the resistivity-temperature profile at temperatures as low as a few eV.
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| 10. |
- MacLellan, D A, et al.
(författare)
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Tunable mega-ampere electron current propagation in solids by dynamic control of lattice melt.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114. ; 113:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of lattice-melt-induced resistivity gradients on the transport of mega-ampere currents of fast electrons in solids is investigated numerically and experimentally using laser-accelerated protons to induce isochoric heating. Tailoring the heating profile enables the resistive magnetic fields which strongly influence the current propagation to be manipulated. This tunable laser-driven process enables important fast electron beam properties, including the beam divergence, profile, and symmetry to be actively tailored, and without recourse to complex target manufacture.
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