Generation of ultra-intense ion beams by a short-pulse laser

This paper summarizes briefly the main experimental and numerical results of the IPPLM team studies on the generation of ultra-intense ion beams by a short (≤1?ps) laser pulse. Basic laser-driven ion acceleration schemes capable of generating such ion beams are described including the target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) scheme, the skin-layer ponderomotive acceleration (SLPA) scheme and the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) scheme. It is shown that an efficient way for achieving high ion beam intensities and fluencies lies in using a short-wavelength laser driver of circular light polarization. In such a case, SLPA clearly dominates over TNSA, and dense and compact ion bunch is generated with high energetic efficiency. The LICPA scheme operating in the photon (radiation) pressure regime can be even more efficient than SLPA. As it is demonstrated by particle-in-cell simulations, the LICPA accelerator with a picosecond, circularly polarized laser driver of intensity ～ 10²¹_?W/cm² can produce sub-picosecond light ion beams of intensity ～ 10²²?W/cm² and fluence?>?1?GJ/cm² with the energetic efficiency of tens of percent. Laser-driven ion beams of such extreme parameters could open up new research areas in high-energy-density science, inertial fusion or nuclear physics.     

Three-dimensional dynamics of breakout afterburner ion acceleration using high-contrast short-pulse laser and nanoscale targets

Breakout afterburner (BOA) laser-ion acceleration has been demonstrated for the first time in the laboratory. In the BOA, an initially solid-density target undergoes relativistically induced transparency, initiating a period of enhanced ion acceleration. First-ever kinetic simulations of the BOA in three dimensions show that the ion beam forms lobes in the direction orthogonal to laser polarization and propagation. Analytic theory presented for the electron dynamics in the laser ponderomotive field explains how azimuthal symmetry breaks even for a symmetric laser intensity profile; these results are consistent with recent experiments at the Trident laser facility.     

Laser acceleration of ion beams

We consider methods of charged particle acceleration by means of high-intensity lasers. As an application we discuss a laser booster for heavy ion beams provided, e.g., by the Dubna nuclotron. Simple estimates show that a cascade of crossed laser beams can provide additional acceleration to gold ions of the order of GeV/nucleon. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Three-dimensional simulations of ion acceleration from a foil irradiated by a short-pulse laser

Using 3D particle-in-cell simulations we study ion acceleration from a foil irradiated by a laser pulse at 10(19) W/cm(2) intensity. At the front side, the laser ponderomotive force pushes electrons inwards, thus creating the electric field by charge separation, which drags the ions. At the back side of the foil, the ions are accelerated by space charge of the hot electrons exiting into vacuum, as suggested by Hatchett et al. [Phys. Plasmas 7, 2076 (2000)]. The transport of hot electrons through the overdense plasma and their exit into vacuum are strongly affected by self-generated magnetic fields. The fast ions emerge from the rear surface in cones similar to those detected by Clark et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 670 (2000)].     

Radiation-pressure acceleration of ion beams from nanofoil targets: the leaky light-sail regime

A new ion radiation-pressure acceleration regime, the "leaky light sail," is proposed which uses sub-skin-depth nanometer foils irradiated by circularly polarized laser pulses. In the regime, the foil is partially transparent, continuously leaking electrons out along with the transmitted laser field. This feature can be exploited by a multispecies nanofoil configuration to stabilize the acceleration of the light ion component, supplementing the latter with an excess of electrons leaked from those associated with the heavy ions to avoid Coulomb explosion. It is shown by 2D particle-in-cell simulations that a monoenergetic proton beam with energy 18 MeV is produced by circularly polarized lasers at intensities of just 101? W/cm2. 100 MeV proton beams are obtained by increasing the intensities to 2 × 102? W/cm2.     

Dynamic control of laser-produced proton beams

The emission characteristics of intense laser driven protons are controlled using ultrastrong (of the order of 10(9) V/m) electrostatic fields varying on a few ps time scale. The field structures are achieved by exploiting the high potential of the target (reaching multi-MV during the laser interaction). Suitably shaped targets result in a reduction in the proton beam divergence, and hence an increase in proton flux while preserving the high beam quality. The peak focusing power and its temporal variation are shown to depend on the target characteristics, allowing for the collimation of the inherently highly divergent beam and the design of achromatic electrostatic lenses.     

Transverse shear deformability in the dynamics of thin-walled composite beams: consistency of different approaches

The aim of this work is to describe an analysis of the transverse shear deformability in the dynamics of thin-walled composite beams. Some thin-walled-composite-beam models, which are derived by means of different approaches (principle of virtual works and principle of Hellinger-Reissner among others), show substantial discrepancies due to the employment of different constitutive equations based on the aforementioned approaches. In the following paragraphs a comparison of different schemes and hypotheses related to constitutive equations for thin-walled composite beams is performed.     

Extraction of intense beams from ECR ion sources and electrostatic acceleration

High-space charge effects and problems related to beam transport are discussed in the context of an electron cyclotron-resonance ion sources extraction and pre-acceleration low emittance line (which works as the injector of a new superconducting Radio Frequency Quadruple (RFQ) under commissioning at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL)) at several values of the extracted beam current. In the extractor, both the cases of short-range magnetic fringe field (virtual source approximation) and large-range fringe field are simulated. Analytical expression of ion flow and plasma sheaths are easily incorporated in the charged fluid approach and in numerical modeling with three-dimensional simulation programs, which can treat several coupled field variables and lower space dimension (known as multiphysics codes). Advantages of flexibility and of representation of finer details are remarked. Effects of plasma potential and extraction hole thickness (0.5 mm) on the plasma meniscus can be resolved, even in the context of a simulation including 1 m long objects. An example of beam injection into an acceleration tube is also given; results are consistent with the tube-design goals and with the experimentally observed parameters.     

Propagation instabilities of high-intensity laser-produced electron beams

Measurements of energetic electron beams generated from ultrahigh intensity laser interactions (I>10(19) W/cm(2)) with dense plasmas are discussed. These interactions have been shown to produce very directional beams, although with a broad energy spectrum. In the regime where the beam density approaches the density of the background plasma, we show that these beams are unstable to filamentation and "hosing" instabilities. Particle-in-cell simulations also indicate the development of such instabilities. This is a regime of particular interest for inertial confinement fusion applications of these beams (i.e., "fast ignition").     

Focusing dynamics of high-energy density, laser-driven ion beams

The dynamics of the focusing of laser-driven ion beams produced from concave solid targets was studied. Most of the ion beam energy is observed to converge at the center of the cylindrical targets with a spot diameter of 30 μm, which can be very beneficial for applications requiring high beam energy densities. Also, unbalanced laser irradiation does not compromise the focusability of the beam. However, significant filamentation occurs during the focusing, potentially limiting the localization of the energy deposition region by these beams at focus. These effects could impact the applicability of such high-energy density beams for applications, e.g., in proton-driven fast ignition.     

Resistive collimation of electron beams in laser-produced plasmas

Intense relativistic electron beams, produced by high-intensity short-pulse laser irradiation of a solid target, have many potential applications including fusion by fast ignition. Using a unique Fokker-Planck code, supported by analytic calculations, we show that fast electrons can be collimated into a beam even when the fast electron source is not strongly anisotropic, and we derive a condition for collimation to occur.     

Transverse cooling of electron beams

The possibility of cyclotron maser cooling of the transverse motion of electrons in a beam with the oblate velocity distribution characteristic of the setups with electron cooling has been analyzed.     

Transverse vibrations of pre-twisted sandwich beams

A set of equations of motion governing the bending and extensional displacements of a pre-twisted sandwich beam of rectangular cross-section are derived by using Hamilton's principle. The middle viscoelastic core is assumed to deform mainly through the classical shearing mechanism. The eigenvalues and loss factors of simply supported pre-twisted sandwich beams are computed by using the variational method. Analysis of the results revealed that pre-twisting the beam increases the real part of the eigenvalue by as much as 20% while reducing the loss factor by as much as 30 %. The loss factor of very soft, thickcored beams is especially sensitive to even small angles of pre-twist: e.g., a 22· 5° pre-twist may reduce the loss factor by as much as 80%. The effect of pre-twist is, however, shown not to be appreciable for soft, thin-cored beams. In any case, pre-twisting of the beam has a detrimental effect on the maximum loss factor that one can obtain for a specific size of the beam when only the shear parameter of the beam is changed.     

Generation of high quality ion beams through the stable radiation pressure acceleration of the near critical density target

In order to generate high quality ion beams through the stable radiation pressure acceleration(RPA) of the near critical density(NCD) target, we propose a new type of target where an ultra-thin high density(HD) layer is attached to the front surface of an NCD target, which has a preferable self-supporting property in the RPA experiments than the ultra-thin foil target. It is found that in one-dimensional particle-in-cell(PIC) simulation, by the block of the HD layer in the new target,there emerges the hole-boring process rather than propagation in the NCD layer when the intense laser pulse impinges on this target. As a result, a typical RPA structure that the compressed electron layer overlaps the ion layer as a whole is formed and a high quality ion beam is obtained, e.g., a circularly polarized laser pulse with normalized amplitude a_0= 120 impinges on this new target and a 1.2 GeV monoenergetic ion beam is generated through the RPA of the NCD layer. Similar results are also found in the two-dimensional PIC simulation.     

Optical characteristics of laser-produced antimony plasma

The processes occurring in expanding laser-produced antimony plasma are investigated by the emission spectroscopy method. The plasma expansion velocity, the recombination time of SbII, and the electron temperature and density are determined from the dynamics of SbI line emission. Based on the results obtained, the processes occurring during the formation and expansion of laser-produced antimony plasma are qualitatively analyzed.