Simulation of Electron Temperature in Argon Clusters Subjected to Intense Laser Fields

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强激光场中氘团簇的离子能谱与团簇尺度

在SILEX-Ⅰ装置上进行了超短超强激光与氘团簇相互作用的实验。采用法拉第筒测量了激光与氘团簇靶相互作用后发射出的氘离子能谱,并根据氘离子能谱计算出氘团簇的尺寸和分布。由于激光预脉冲的影响,得到了团簇的尺度比瑞利散射测量的结果小。这些结果对团簇源制备系统的改进和优化激光打靶有着重要的参考意义,而且可以为团簇尺度的测量提供一种新的方法。     

超强激光与Ar团簇相互作用中X射线的研究

本文主要研究了超强超短激光与Ar团簇相互作用过程中X射线能谱、K壳层光子产额、能量转换效率以及激光对比度对X射线光子产额的影响.实验中得到K壳层的光子产额约为1× 10¹¹/发,能量转换效率约为2.8× 10^-5．同时观测到较强预脉冲离化团簇会导致预电离,产生膨胀等离子体,然而主脉冲与膨胀的等离子体相互作用的强度较未膨胀时降低了,从而导致K壳层光子产额降低,而使用高对比度的激光能增加X射线光子产额.     

Ionization of clusters in strong x-ray laser pulses

The effect of intense x-ray laser interaction on argon clusters is studied theoretically with a mixed quantum/classical approach. In comparison to a single atom we find that ionization of the cluster is suppressed, which is in striking contrast to the observed behavior of rare-gas clusters in intense optical laser pulses. We have identified two effects responsible for this phenomenon: A high space charge of the cluster in combination with a small quiver amplitude and delocalization of electrons in the cluster. We elucidate their impact for different field strengths and cluster sizes.     

Coulomb expansion of deuterated methane clusters irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse

The simulations of three-dimensional particle dynamics show that when irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse, the deuterated methane cluster expands and the majority of deuterons overrun the more slowly expanding carbon ions, resulting in the creation of two separated subelusters. The enhanced deuteron kinetic energy and a narrow peak around the energy maximum in the deuteron energy distribution make a considerable contribution to the efficiency of nuclear fusion compared with the ease of homonuelear deuterium clusters. With the intense laser irradiation, the nuclear fusion yield increases with the increase of the cluster size, so that deuterated heteronuelear clusters with larger sizes are required to achieve a greater neutron yield.     

Generation and propagation of hot electrons in laser-plasmas

Hot electrons are generated in the interaction between intense ultrashort laser pulses with targets. The process depends on the laser intensity, polarization, incident angle, scale length of plasmas and target materials. In this paper, the recent progress on generation and propagation of hot electrons in non-relativistic and relativistic laser-plasma interactions at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, are reviewed.     

Post-solitons and electron vortices generated by femtosecond intense laser interacting with uniform near-critical-density plasmas

Generation of nonlinear structures, such as stimulated Raman side scattering waves, post-solitons and electron vortices, during ultra-short intense laser pulse transportation in near-critical-density (NCD) plasmas is studied by using multi-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In two-dimensional geometries, both P- and S-polarized laser pulses are used to drive these nonlinear structures and to check the polarization effects on them. In the S-polarized case, the scattered waves can be captured by surrounding plasmas leading to the generation of post-solitons, while the main pulse excites convective electric currents leading to the formation of electron vortices through Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). In the P-polarized case, the scattered waves dissipate their energy by heating surrounding plasmas. Electron vortices are excited due to the hosing instability of the drive laser. These polarization dependent physical processes are reproduced in two different planes perpendicular to the laser propagation direction in three-dimensional simulation with linearly polarized laser driver. The current work provides inspiration for future experiments of laser-NCD plasma interactions.     

Surface heating of deuterium clusters by the field of a superintense ultrashort laser pulse for implementing the nuclear reaction d+d → 3He+n

A new mechanism for heating the electron component of plasmas formed upon the application of a superintense ultrashort laser pulse to atomic clusters is proposed. Clusters considered here consist of deuterium atoms. Upon the emission of a large number of electrons, an irradiated cluster, which acquires a positive charge, explodes (Coulomb explosion). Deuterons that are ejected as the result of this possess high kinetic energies, so that collisions between them can result in ³He formation accompanied by neutron emission. The new mechanism of the heating of the electron plasma from clusters is based on the conjecture that, when an ionization electron is reflected from the inner surface of the cluster ion in the presence of a laser field, it predominantly absorbs (rather than emits) laser photons.     

Interaction of intense laser pulses with hydrogen atomic clusters

The interaction between intense femtosecond laser pulses and hydrogen atomic clusters is studied by a simplified Coulomb explosion model. The dependences of average proton kinetic energy on cluster size, pulse duration, laser intensity and wavelength are studied respectively. The calculated results indicate that the irradiation of a femtosecond laser of longer wavelength on hydrogen atomic clusters may be a simple, economical way to produce highly kinetic hydrogen ions. The phenomenon suggests that the irradiation of femtosecond laser of longer wavelength on deuterium atomic clusters may be easier than that of shorter wavelength to drive nuclear fusion reactions. The product of the laser intensity and the squared laser wavelength needed to make proton energy saturated as a function of the squared cluster radius is also investigated. The proton energy distribution calculated is also shown and compared with the experimental data. Our results are in agreement with the experimental results fairly well.     

Three-dimensional simulation on explosions of hydrogen atomic clusters irradiated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse

Using classic particle dynamics simulations, the interaction process between an intense femtosecond laser pulse and icosahedral hydrogen atomic clusters H_{13}, H_{55} and H_{147} has been studied. It is revealed that with increasing number of atoms in the cluster, the kinetic energy of ions generated in the Coulomb explosion of the ionized hydrogen clusters increases. The expansion process of the clusters after laser irradiation has also been examined, showing that the expansion scale decreases with increasing cluster size.     

A plasma channel scheme for the interaction of an intense femtosecond laser pulse with a deuterium cluster jet

We propose a plasma channel scheme to obtain an improved table-top laser driven fusion neutron yield as a result of explosions of large deuterium clusters irradiated by an intense laser pulse. A cylindrical plasma channel is created by two moderate intensity laser prepulses at the edge of a deuterium cluster jet along which an intense main laser pulse propagates several nanoseconds later. With the aid of this plasma channel, the main laser pulse will be allowed to deposit its energy into the central region of the deuterium gas jet where the cluster sizes are larger and the atomic density is higher. The plasma channel formation and its impact on the deuterium ion energy spectrum and the consequent fusion neutron yield have been investigated. The calculated results show that a remarkable increase of the table-top laser driven fusion neutron yield would be expected.     

飞秒强激光脉冲中氩团簇库仑爆炸特性研究

利用Bathe模型,理论模拟了氩团簇在飞秒强激光中(100 fs, 1016 W/cm2)的电离和爆炸过程.研究结果显示,在团簇尺寸较小时,离子平均能量与团簇初始半径平方成正比,爆炸机制为典型的库仑爆炸.随着团簇尺寸的增加,能量增加的速度趋缓并在一定团簇尺寸后趋于饱和.模拟结果与实验数据有较好的吻合.     

Effect of laser spot size on fusion neutron yield in laser--deuterium cluster interactions

The effect of the laser spot size on the neutron yield of table-top nuclear fusion from explosions of a femtosecond intense laser pulse heated deuterium clusters is investigated by using a simplified model, in which the cluster size distribution and the energy attenuation of the laser as it propagates through the cluster jet are taken into account. It has been found that there exists a proper laser spot size for the maximum fusion neutron yield for a given laser pulse and a specific deuterium gas cluster jet. The proper spot size, which is dependent on the laser parameters and the cluster jet parameters, has been calculated and compared with the available experimental data. A reasonable agreement between the calculated results and the published experimental results is found.     

质谱在激光等离子体物理研究中的应用

在对激光等离子体相互作用的研究中,物质由于在激光场的作用下离子化而成各种离化态的离子,研究这些离子的特性可以深入理解激光与等离子体相互作用过程,质谱仪能提供离子的最高离化态、平均电荷态、能量分布和丰度等重度信息,文章介绍了质谱仪的原理及的原理及其在激光等离子体中的应用。     

Characterization of fusion burn time in exploding deuterium cluster plasmas

Exploiting the energetic interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with deuterium clusters, it is possible to create conditions in which nuclear fusion results from explosions of these clusters. We have conducted high-resolution neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy on these plasmas and show that they yield fast bursts of nearly monochromatic fusion neutrons with temporal duration as short as a few hundred picoseconds. Such a short, nearly pointlike source now opens up the unique possibility of using these bright neutron pulses, either as a pump or a probe, to conduct ultrafast studies with neutrons.     

Study on the interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with nanometre-sized hydrogen clusters

The interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with hydrogen clusters has been experimentally studied. The hydrogen clusters were produced from expansion of high-pressure hydrogen gas (backed up to 8\tm10⁶Pa) into vacuum through a conical nozzle cryogenically cooled by liquid nitrogen. The average size of hydrogen clusters was estimated by Rayleigh scattering measurement and the maximum proton energy of up to 4.2keV has been obtained from the Coulomb explosion of hydrogen clusters under 2×10¹⁶ W/cm² laser irradiation. Dependence of the maximum proton energy on cluster size and laser intensity was investigated, indicating the correlation between the laser intensity and the cluster size. The maximum proton energy is found to be directly proportional to the laser intensity, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction.     

Dynamics simulation on interaction of intense laser pulses with atomic clusters

Under classical particle dynamics, the interaction process between intense femtosecond laser pulses and icosahedral noble-gas atomic clusters was studied. Our calculated results show that ionization proceeds mainly through tunnel ionization in the combined field from ions, electrons and laser, rather than the electron-impact ionization. With increasing cluster size, the average and maximum kinetic energy of the product ion increases. According to our calculation, the expansion process of the clusters after laser irradiation is dominated by Coulomb explosion and the expansion scale increases with increasing cluster size. The dependence of average kinetic energy and average charge state of the product ions on laser wavelength is also presented and discussed. The dependence of average kinetic energy on the number of atoms inside the cluster was studied and compared with the experimental data. Our results agree with the experimental results reasonably well.     

One-dimensional EM solitons in ultrashort intense laser pulse-partially stripped plasmas

The one-dimensional electromagnetic (EM) envelope solitons in ultrashort intense laser pulse-partially stripped plasmas were discussed based on the wave equation of intense laser pulse propagating in partially stripped plasmas. Under the weakly relativistic assumption, a modified nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation describing the evolution of the EM field was derived. The analytical analysis shows that in the ultra-short broad beam limits, the relativistic nonlinearity and striction nonlinearity cancel each other, and a one-dimensional laser pulse envelope soliton can be formed only due to the polarization nonlinearity. The relationship between the characteristics of soliton and the parameters of laser pulse and partially stripped plasmas was discussed by numerical analysis.     

水窗波段附近激光等离子体X光辐射产生的途径

讨论了利用激光等离子体产生水窗波段Ｘ光辐射的可能途径。靶材，即原子序数的选取是决定产生这一波段辐射的基本因素，利用激光等离子体的平衡态和非平衡态特性都可在水窗波段产生亮度Ｘ光辐射，提出利用黑体辐射来实现水窗波段Ｘ光显微成像研究的方案。