| 1. |
- Amole, C., et al.
(författare)
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Resonant quantum transitions in trapped antihydrogen atoms
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nature. - 0028-0836. ; 483:7390, s. 439-U86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hydrogen atom is one of the most important and influential model systems in modern physics. Attempts to understand its spectrum are inextricably linked to the early history and development of quantum mechanics. The hydrogen atom's stature lies in its simplicity and in the accuracy with which its spectrum can be measured(1) and compared to theory. Today its spectrum remains a valuable tool for determining the values of fundamental constants and for challenging the limits of modern physics, including the validity of quantum electrodynamics and-by comparison with measurements on its antimatter counterpart, antihydrogen-the validity of CPT (charge conjugation, parity and time reversal) symmetry. Here we report spectroscopy of a pure antimatter atom, demonstrating resonant quantum transitions in antihydrogen. We have manipulated the internal spin state(2,3) of antihydrogen atoms so as to induce magnetic resonance transitions between hyperfine levels of the positronic ground state. We used resonant microwave radiation to flip the spin of the positron in antihydrogen atoms that were magnetically trapped(4-6) in the ALPHA apparatus. The spin flip causes trapped anti-atoms to be ejected from the trap. We look for evidence of resonant interaction by comparing the survival rate of trapped atoms irradiated with microwaves on-resonance to that of atoms subjected to microwaves that are off-resonance. In one variant of the experiment, we detect 23 atoms that survive in 110 trapping attempts with microwaves off-resonance (0.21 per attempt), and only two atoms that survive in 103 attempts with microwaves on-resonance (0.02 per attempt). We also describe the direct detection of the annihilation of antihydrogen atoms ejected by the microwaves.
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| 2. |
- Andresen, G. B., et al.
(författare)
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The ALPHA-detector : Module Production and Assembly
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 7, s. C01051
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ALPHA is one of the experiments situated at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator (AD). A Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) is placed to surround the ALPHA atom trap. The main purpose of the SVD is to detect and locate antiproton annihilation events by means of the emitted charged pions. The SVD system is presented with special focus given to the design, fabrication and performance of the modules.
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| 3. |
- McKenna, P., et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Lattice Structure on Energetic Electron Transport in Solids Irradiated by Ultraintense Laser Pulses
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - American Physical Society. - 0031-9007. ; 106:18, s. 185004
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of lattice structure on the transport of energetic (MeV) electrons in solids irradiated by ultraintense laser pulses is investigated using various allotropes of carbon. We observe smooth electron transport in diamond, whereas beam filamentation is observed with less ordered forms of carbon. The highly ordered lattice structure of diamond is shown to result in a transient state of warm dense carbon with metalliclike conductivity, at temperatures of the order of 1-100 eV, leading to suppression of electron beam filamentation.
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| 4. |
- Pirozhkov, A. S., et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic of laser contrast using target reflectivity
- 2009
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - American Institute of Physics. - 0003-6951. ; 94:24, s. 241102
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using three different laser systems, we demonstrate a convenient and simple plasma based diagnostic of the contrast of high-power short-pulse lasers. The technique is based on measuring the specular reflectivity from a solid target. The reflectivity remains high even at relativistic intensities above 10(19) W/cm(2) in the case of a high-contrast prepulse-free laser. On the contrary, the specular reflectivity drops with increasing intensities in the case of systems with insufficient contrast due to beam breakup and increased absorption caused by preplasma.
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| 5. |
- 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. - Cambridge Univ Press. - 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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| 6. |
- 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 Ltd. - 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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| 7. |
- Kar, S., et al.
(författare)
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Guiding of Relativistic Electron Beams in Solid Targets by Resistively Controlled Magnetic Fields
- 2009
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - Amer Physical Soc. - 0031-9007. ; 102:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Guided transport of a relativistic electron beam in solid is achieved experimentally by exploiting the strong magnetic fields created at the interface of two metals of different electrical resistivities. This is of substantial relevance to the Fast Ignitor approach to fusion energy production M. Tabak et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 057305 (2005), since it allows the electron deposition to be spatially tailored-thus adding substantial design flexibility and preventing inefficiencies due to electron beam spreading. In the experiment, optical transition radiation and thermal emission from the target rear surface provide a clear signature of the electron confinement within a high resistivity tin layer sandwiched transversely between two low resistivity aluminum slabs. The experimental data are found to agree well with numerical simulations.
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| 8. |
- McKenna, P., et al.
(författare)
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Lateral electron transport in high-intensity laser-irradiated foils diagnosed by ion emission
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - American Physical Society. - 0031-9007. ; 98:14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An experimental investigation of lateral electron transport in thin metallic foil targets irradiated by ultraintense (>= 10(19) W/cm(2)) laser pulses is reported. Two-dimensional spatially resolved ion emission measurements are used to quantify electric-field generation resulting from electron transport. The measurement of large electric fields (similar to 0.1 TV/m) millimeters from the laser focus reveals that lateral energy transport continues long after the laser pulse has decayed. Numerical simulations confirm a very strong enhancement of electron density and electric field at the edges of the target.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Robinson, A. P. L., et al.
(författare)
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Spectral modification of laser-accelerated proton beams by self-generated magnetic fields
- 2009
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Ingår i: New Journal of Physics. - IOP Publishing Ltd. - 1367-2630. ; 11, s. 083018
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Target normal measurements of proton energy spectra from ultrathin (50-200 nm) planar foil targets irradiated by 10(19) W cm(-2) 40 fs laser pulses exhibit broad maxima that are not present in the energy spectra from micron thickness targets (6 mu m). The proton flux in the peak is considerably greater than the proton flux observed in the same energy range in thicker targets. Numerical modelling of the experiment indicates that this spectral modification in thin targets is caused by magnetic fields that grow at the rear of the target during the laser-target interaction.
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