A laser accelerator

We show that a laser can efficiently accelerate charged particles if a magnetic field is introduced to improve the coupling between the particle and the wave. Solving the relativistic equations of motion for an electron in a uniform magnetic field and superposed, circularly polarized electromagnetic wave, we find that in energy-position phase space an electron traces out a curtate cycloid: it alternately gains and loses energy. If, however, the parameters are chosen so that the electron's oscillations in the two fields are resonant, it will continually accelerate or decelerate depending on its initial position within a wavelength of light. A laboratory accelerator operating under these resonant conditions appears attractive: in a magnetic field of 10⁵ Gauss, and the fields of a 5×10¹² W, 10 μm wavelength laser, an optimally positioned electron would accelerate to 700 MeV in only 10m. Supported by NASA Grant NSG-7490     

Thermonuclear fusion in a strong laser field

Thermonuclear fusion induced by the irradiation of solid deuterated cluster targets and foils with fields of strong femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses is discussed. The thermonuclear-fusion process D(d, n)³He in a collision of two deuterons at an energy of 50 to 100 keV in a deuterium cluster target irradiated with a strong laser pulse is discussed. A theory of thermonuclear fusion proceeding upon the irradiation of clusters formed by deuterium iodide (DI) molecules with the field of a superintense femtosecond laser pulse is developed. This theory is based on an above-barrier process in which the sequential multiple inner ionization of atomic ions within a cluster is accompanied by field-induced outer ionization. The yield of neutrons from thermonuclear fusion in a deuteron-deuteron collision after the completion of a laser pulse is calculated. The yield of neutrons is determined for the thermonuclear-fusion reaction proceeding in the interaction of an intense picosecond laser pulse with thin TiD₂ foils. A multiple ionization of titanium atoms at the front edge of the laser pulse is considered. The heating of free electron occurs in induced inverse bremsstrahlung in the process of electron scattering on multiply charged titanium ions. The yield of alpha particles in the thermonuclear-fusion reaction involving protons and ¹¹B nuclei that is induced in microdrops by a strong laser field is determined. Experimental data on laser-induced thermonuclear fusion are discussed.     

Precision laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions

Recently, intense beams of highly charged ions have become available at heavy ion cooler rings. The obstacle for producing these highly interesting candidates is the large binding energy of K-shell electrons in heavy systems in excess of 100 keV. One way to remove these electrons is to strip them off by passing the ion through material. In the cooler ring, the ions are cooled to a well defined velocity. At the SIS/ESR complex it is possible to produce, store, and cool highly charged ions up to bare uranium with intensities exceeding 10⁸ atoms in the ring. This opens the door for precision laser spectroscopy of hydrogenlike-heavy ions, e.g.²⁰⁹Bi⁸²⁺, and allows to examine the interaction of the single electron with the large fields of the heavy nucleus, exceeding any artificially produced electric and magnetic fields by orders of magnitude. In the electron cooler the interaction of electrons and highly charged ions otherwise only present in the hottest plasmas can be studied.     

Spatial-temporal measurements of magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas

The results of an investigation of the electromagnetic wave polarization, probing high-temperature laser plasma, as well as spatial-temporal structure of the magnetic fields, electron density, current density, and electron drift velocity are presented. To create the plasma, plane massive Al targets were irradiated with the second harmonic of a phoenix Nd laser at intensities up to 5·10¹⁴ W/cm². It was shown that the magnetooptical Faraday effect is the main mechanism responsible for the changing polarization of the probing wave. Magnetic fields up to 0.4 MG with electron densities ∼10²⁰ cm⁻³ were measured. Analysis of the magnetic field spatial distribution showed that the current density achieved the value ∼90 MA/cm² on the laser axis. The radial structure of the magnetic field testified to the availability of the reversed current in the laser plasma. The spatial and temporal resolutions in these experiments were equaled to ∼5 μsec and ∼50 psec, respectively. Translated from Preprint No. 35 of the Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow, 1993.     

Status of deceleration and laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions at HITRAP

Heavy few-electron ions are relatively simple systems in terms of electron structure and offer unique opportunities to conduct experiments under extremely large electromagnetic fields that exist around their nuclei. However, the preparation of highly charged ions (HCI) has remained the major challenge for experiments. As an extension of the existing GSI accelerator facility, the HITRAP facility was conceived as a multi-stage decelerator for HCI produced at high velocity. It is designed to prepare bunches of around 10⁵ HCI and to deliver them at low energies to various experiments. One of these experiments is SpecTrap, aiming for laser spectroscopy of trapped, cold HCI. We present the latest results on deceleration of ions in a radio-frequency quadrupole, synchrotron cooling of electrons in a trap as a preparation step for the prospective electron cooling of the HCI decelerated in HITRAP, as well as laser cooling of singly charged Mg ions for sympathetic cooling of HCI in SpecTrap.     

Dusty photoresonant plasma with coulomb collisions

We have studied the charging of dust particles in a dense photoresonant sodium plasma with electron and ion densities as high as 10¹⁶ cm^?3 produced by laser pumping of the resonance level of Na, which was a small admixture (up to 1%) in an argon buffer gas. We show that the charge of dust particles with a radius of 10 mm at maximum reaches 3 × 10⁵ electron charges and that the potential of the dust particles at a low electron bulk loss rate agrees well with the orbital motion limited (OML) model data. The behavior of the electric field near a dust particle was found to be nonmonotonic. We established that the distribution of the potential near a solitary charged dust particle agrees well with the Debye one, but the screening length proves to be much larger than even the electron Debye length; the discrepancies are largest at the afterglow stage of the photoresonant plasma, when the sodium ion with a low recombination coefficient is the main plasma ion. We determined the domain of parameters for a dense plasma where an ensemble of dust particles can crystallize.     

Perturbative QED in terms of gauge invariant fields

A formulation of QED using only gauge invariant fields acting on a physical state space is discussed. The fields are the electromagnetic tensor F_μν and a non-local electron field ψ_f depending on a quadruple {f^μ} of auxiliary functions. The f-ambiguity is physically meaningful: the f^μ contain information on the asymptotic configuration of the electromagnetic field accompanying charged particles. Equations of motion are introduced and solved perturbatively, in the sense that expressions for the Wightman functions of the theory are derived. No information on the commutation relations between the basic fields is needed.     

Multiplicity of charged particles in electron-induced showers developing in oriented silicon and tungsten crystals

A more than twofold increase in the average multiplicity of charged particles in electromagnetic showers initiated by electrons with an energy of 26 GeV in tungsten crystals 2.7, 5.8, and 8.4 mm thick, oriented along the 〈111〉 axis, in comparison with misoriented crystals is shown. For a silicon crystal 20 mm thick, oriented along the 〈110〉 axis, at an electron energy of 28 GeV, the average multiplicity of charged particles increases by a factor of ～1.6. The widths of the orientation dependences of the average multiplicity of charged particles in electron-induced showers in silicon and tungsten crystals are proportional to the crystal thickness and depend on the electron energy as E ^?1/2.     

Carbonyl sulphide under strong laser field: Time-dependent density functional theory

The first 52 fs of a time evolution of the electron density in OCS after an interaction with an intense sub 10 fs laser pulse are studied using the time-dependent density functional theory. The nuclear motion in this linear trimer is simulated by the classical molecular dynamics method. Laser fields of intensity 10¹³ W/cm² and 10¹⁵ W/cm² are used. Details of the laser induced changes of the structure, as well as the ionization rate are sensitive to the applied field intensity and its polarization. It is found that under suitable conditions the OCS molecule bends soon after an interaction with a laser pulse. A deviation from the linear geometry of up to 23.6° and charged ions of up to +3 are observed. The time evolution of electric dipole moments and the time-dependent electron localization function (ELF) are also studied.     

On the entropy of radiation reaction

The inexorable development of ever more powerful laser systems has re-ignited interest in electromagnetic radiation reaction and its significance for the collective behavior of charged matter interacting with intense electromagnetic fields. The classical radiation reaction force on a point electron is non-conservative, and this has led some authors to question the validity of methods used to model ultra-intense laser–matter interactions including radiation reaction. We explain why such concern is unwarranted.     

Laser-driven generation of fast particles

The great progress in high-peak-power laser technology has resulted recently in the production of ps and subps laser pulses of PW powers and relativistic intensities (up to 10²¹ W/cm²) and has laid the basis for the construction of multi-PW lasers generating ultrarelativistic laser intensities (above 10²³ W/cm²). The laser pulses of such extreme parameters make it possible to produce highly collimated beams of electrons or ions of MeV to GeV energies, of short time durations (down to subps) and of enormous currents and current densities, unattainable with conventional accelerators. Such particle beams have a potential to be applied in numerous fields of scientific research as well as in medicine and technology development. This paper is focused on laser-driven generation of fast ion beams and reviews recent progress in this field. The basic concepts and achievements in the generation of intense beams of protons, light ions, and multiply charged heavy ions are presented. Prospects for applications of laser-driven ion beams are briefly discussed.     

ENERGETIC ABOVE-THRESHOLD IONIZATION SPECTRA OF H-ATOM IN INTENSE LASER FIELDS

The above-threshold ionization (ATI) spectra of H-atom in intense laser fields (laser intensity I is up to 10¹⁸W/cm²) are calculated. It is found that the kinetic energy of the ejected electron at the location of the peak of the ATI spectra is about equal to the corresponding ponderomotive potential of the applied laser fields. This result is consistent with that obtained by Wilks et al. and fits the experimental results of the super thermal electron. A possible new mechanism of the super thermal electron generation is proposed.     

Precision spectroscopy with individual ions

Individual charged atomic or molecular particles can be confined by electromagnetic fields for nearly unlimited times under well controlled conditions in a small volume in space. This allows performing spectroscopic experiments with unprecedented accuracy. We discuss a project to determine the magnetic moment of the electron bound in hydrogen-like ions with different nuclear charges. This serves for testing bound-state quantum-electrodynamics calculations with high precision. Previous results on C⁵⁺ and O⁷⁺ as well as the present status of the project with Si¹³⁺ and Ca¹⁹⁺ are presented in this contribution and future possibilities are discussed.     

The absorption of incident beams during laser drilling of metals

Laser produced plasma plays an important role in the laser drilling of sheet metals as it can partially block and absorb the incident laser beam. A previous study of the transient properties of charged particles in the plasma plume has shown that, at low electron densities with high electron temperatures, laser drilling improves. This suggests that measurement of the absorption of the plasma plume is essential.The present study covers measurement of the absorption of a HeNe beam passing transversely through the plasma plume. The measurement was carried out using two fast response photodiodes and was repeated for sub-atmospheric pressures of air.The results obtained show that drilling is best at a pressure of 200 torr (2.7 x 10⁴ Pa) and rapid expansion of the flares is favourable at 2 mm above the surface. Coupling of absorption and heating is also best at this pressure.     

电子在激光驻波场中运动产生的太赫兹及X射线辐射研究

采用单电子模型和经典辐射理论分别对低能和高能电子在线偏振激光驻波场中的运动和辐射过程进行了研究. 结果表明: 垂直于激光电场方向入射的低速电子在激光驻波场中随着光强的增大, 逐渐从一维近周期运动演变为二维折叠运动, 并产生强的微米量级波长的太赫兹辐射; 高能电子垂直或者平行于激光电场方向入射到激光驻波场中, 都会产生波长在几个纳米的高频辐射; 低能电子与激光驻波场作用中, 激光强度影响着电子的运动形式、辐射频率以及辐射强度; 高能电子入射时, 激光强度影响了电子高频辐射的强度, 电子初始能量影响着辐射的频率; 电子能量越高, 产生的辐射频率越大. 研究表明可以由激光加速电子的方式得到不同能量的电子束, 并利用电子束在激光驻波场的辐射使之成为太赫兹和X射线波段的小型辐射源. 研究结果可以为实验研究和利用激光驻波场中的电子辐射提供依据.     

Simulation of laser–plasma interactions and fast-electron transport in inhomogeneous plasma

A new framework is introduced for kinetic simulation of laser–plasma interactions in an inhomogeneous plasma motivated by the goal of performing integrated kinetic simulations of fast-ignition laser fusion. The algorithm addresses the propagation and absorption of an intense electromagnetic wave in an ionized plasma leading to the generation and transport of an energetic electron component. The energetic electrons propagate farther into the plasma to much higher densities where Coulomb collisions become important. The high-density plasma supports an energetic electron current, return currents, self-consistent electric fields associated with maintaining quasi-neutrality, and self-consistent magnetic fields due to the currents. Collisions of the electrons and ions are calculated accurately to track the energetic electrons and model their interactions with the background plasma. Up to a density well above critical density, where the laser electromagnetic field is evanescent, Maxwell’s equations are solved with a conventional particle-based, finite-difference scheme. In the higher-density plasma, Maxwell’s equations are solved using an Ohm’s law neglecting the inertia of the background electrons with the option of omitting the displacement current in Ampere’s law. Particle equations of motion with binary collisions are solved for all electrons and ions throughout the system using weighted particles to resolve the density gradient efficiently. The algorithm is analyzed and demonstrated in simulation examples. The simulation scheme introduced here achieves significantly improved efficiencies.     

Electrons in the Field of Interfering Laser Pulses with Tilted Fronts: Formation of Compressed Bunches and Their Application for the Generation of Coherent γ – Rays

Simulations show that optical traps for charged particles can be formed in the fields of intense ultrashort laser pulses with tilted amplitude fronts. The traps travel in space with the velocities close to the speed of light and can be used for the creation of electron bunches which, at the laser intensities which are currently attainable, are compressed to proportions far below the laser wavelength and have energies reaching hundreds of GeV per particle. If an additional ultrashort laser pulse is propagated in the direction opposite to that of the bunch motion and interacts with the electrons, inverse Compton scattering occurs, with most of the electron energy being transferred to the resulting gamma‐quanta. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On acceleration of charged particles in intensity minima of laser fields

Using Klíma-Bogoliubov-Zubarev method, the acceleration of charged particles (electrons) in moving intensity minima of interference laser fields is investigated. The electromagnetic field intensity threshold for a prospective slipping-through of the particle through the potential barrier is found both analytically and numerically. Millimetre and submillimetre electromagnetic waves should be emitted because of forced electron oscillations in potential wells.This work has been initiated by gratefully acknowledged discussions with Professor H. Hora during the author's stay at the University of N. S. W., Sydney. The author thanks this University for the kind hospitality.     

Affine connection structure of the charged symplectic 2-form

It is shown that the charged symplectic form in Hamiltonian dynamics of classical charged particles in electromagnetic fields defines a generalized affine connection on an affine frame bundle associated with spacetime. Conversely, a generalized affine connection can be used to construct a symplectic 2-form if the associated linear connection is torsion-free and the antisymmetric part of theR ^4* translational connection is locally derivable from a potential. Hamiltonian dynamics for classical charged particles in combined gravitational and electromagnetic fields can therefore be reformulated as aP(4)=O(1, 3)R ^4* geometric theory with phase space the affine cotangent bundleAT ^* M of spacetime. The sourcefree Maxwell equations are reformulated as a pair of geometrical conditions on the ^4* curvature that are exactly analogous to the source-free Einstein equations.     

Slowed picosecond kinetics of hot photogenerated carriers in GaAs

The hot photoluminescent kinetics of GaAs under intense picosecond excitations (10²⁸ photons/cm² sec) have been measured. A slow risetime of the near bandedge luminescence has been observed arising from a slowed cooling of the electron distribution. The slowed electron kinetics of over 50 fold are attributed to the screening of the electron-phonon interaction. Carrier densities at these excitation intensities are limited by saturation of the absorption. These results are important for understanding and may help clarify the mechanisms of laser annealing.