Enhancement of ablation smoothing in laser-irradiated,highZ coated,thin foil targets

An enhanced spatial smoothing of ablative motion of thin plastic foil targets coated with high atomic number ablators such as gold or aluminium, irradiated by a spatially modulated Nd: glass laser beam was observed. Optical shadowgraphy coupled with double foil technique was used to observe the laser-irradiated foil motion. Laser irradiance used for the experiments was in the range of 10¹¹–10¹³ watts/cm². A 60–80% enhancement in the smoothing was observed for a laser beam modulation (width 75–150 μm) at the target surface.     

Effect of lateral energy transport on ablation pressure scaling in laser irradiated planar foil targets

Experimental investigations on ablatively accelerated thin plastic foil targets irradiated by a 6J, 5 nsec Nd: glass laser pulse, were conducted using shadowgraphy technique. A 2 nsec, 0.53 μm probe pulse, derived from the main laser was used for recording the foil motion. It was observed that 6 μm plastic foils could be accelerated to a velocity of about 3 × 10⁶ cm/sec for an incident laser intensity of 5 × 10¹³ W/cm² and the corresponding ablation pressure was 0.4 Mbar. Ablation pressure (P) scaling against absorbed laser intensity (I _a ) was slower (P ∝I _a ^0.4 ) for a smaller laser focal spot (30 μm) as compared to the scaling (P ∝I _a ^0.7 ) for a larger focal spot (500 μm). This result has been explained considering the loss due to lateral energy transport from the laser plasma interaction region.     

超薄靶激光质子加速实验研究

在超短超强飞秒SILEX-Ⅰ激光装置上,开展了薄膜靶激光质子加速的实验研究。实验发现激光预脉冲、靶厚度对质子加速有很大的影响。在激光强度3×1018~3×1019 W/cm2条件下,采用前表面厚度为3 μm铜、后表面镀4 μm厚CH靶,质子的最大能量达到3.15 MeV。而对190 nm厚CH膜靶,质子的最大能量为0.54 MeV。初步研究了激光偏振对质子加速的影响,相同激光功率条件下,圆偏振激光加速产生的质子最大能量略低于P偏振打靶。这些结果与靶后鞘层加速机制相一致。     

超薄靶激光质子加速实验研究

在超短超强飞秒SILEX-Ⅰ激光装置上,开展了薄膜靶激光质子加速的实验研究。实验发现激光预脉冲、靶厚度对质子加速有很大的影响。在激光强度3×1018~3×1019W/cm2条件下,采用前表面厚度为3μm铜、后表面镀4μm厚CH靶,质子的最大能量达到3.15 MeV。而对190 nm厚CH膜靶,质子的最大能量为0.54 MeV。初步研究了激光偏振对质子加速的影响,相同激光功率条件下,圆偏振激光加速产生的质子最大能量略低于P偏振打靶。这些结果与靶后鞘层加速机制相一致。     

超相对论强度激光与薄膜靶作用中0.4 nm以下X射线阿秒脉冲的产生

用一维粒子模拟程序对功率密度在10²² W/cm²以上的超强激光驱动薄膜靶产生的相对论电子层及其经过汤姆孙散射产生的阿秒X射线进行了研究. 结果表明, 在超相对论强度范围下增大驱动激光强度, 相应减小等离子体密度及厚度可使电子层获得更高纵向动量, 使汤姆孙散射光明显向更短波长移动. 优化相关参数得到了波长为 1.168 nm的阿秒脉冲. 经过对倍频探测光方案与驱动光以及薄膜靶参数进行综合考虑和优化, 得到的X射线相干辐射波长有效减小到0.4 nm以下, 产生的光子能量达到2 keV以上. 关键词： 超相对论强度激光 阿秒X射线 相对论电子层 汤姆孙后向散射     

Dynamic imaging and hydrodynamics study of high velocity, laser-accelerated thin foil targets using multiframe optical shadowgraphy

The main aim of the study of thin target foil–laser interaction experiments is to understand the physics of hydrodynamics of the foil acceleration, which is highly relevant to inertial confinement fusion (ICF). This paper discusses a simple, inexpensive multiframe optical shadowgraphy diagnostics developed for dynamic imaging of high velocity laser-accelerated target foils of different thicknesses. The diagnostic has a spatial and temporal resolution of 12 μm and 500 ps respectively in the measurements. The target velocity is in the range of 10⁶–10⁷ cm/s. Hydrodynamic efficiency of such targets was measured by energy balance experiments together with the measurement of kinetic energy of the laser-driven targets. Effect of target foil thickness on the hydrodynamics of aluminum foils was studied for determining the optimum conditions for obtaining a directed kinetic energy transfer of the accelerated foil. The diagnostics has also been successfully used to study ablatively accelerated targets of other novel materials.     

Skin-Depth Theory Explaining Anomalous Picosecond-Terawatt Laser Plasma Interaction II

The anomaly of ion emission at laser irradiation of targets measured by Badziak et al. was analyzed on the background of the extensive research in the past. In contrast to the irradiation with lasers of longer than 100 ps pulse duration, a drastic decrease of the maximum ion energies was measured with ps pulses. Very strange was the observation that the number of emitted fast ions was intensity independent. The usual ponderomotive or relativistic self-focusing theory and related processes could not explain the results. Instead a direct interaction within the skin depth of the irradiated target was concluded. This model confirms the plane geometry nonlinear force interaction in the ps range producing fast plasma blocks moving perpendicular off or into the target. The block moving into the target opens a new scheme of laser fusion by modifying the experiments of Norreys et al. The use of relatively low subrelativistic laser intensities for the new scheme of laser fusion is evaluated on the background of the long years studies of nonlinear force driven plasma blocks and earlier interpenetration fusion reactions for providing the parameters for expected fusion gains much higher than the experiment of Norreys et al. for a fusion power scheme.     

ICF点火靶定标关系与稳定性优化设计研究

激光等离子体相互作用（LPI）和瑞利-泰勒流体不稳定性（RTI）是影响间接驱动惯性约束聚变成功的两个主要不确定性因素。点火黑腔内环激光通道在靠近黑腔壁的区域是内环激光SRS背反产生与发展的主要区域。内环通道在该区域满足通道内外压力平衡和能量平衡条件。据此提出了间接驱动惯性约束聚变点火黑腔等离子体定标关系。结合描述靶丸内爆飞行阶段物理以及内爆性能的两个定标关系,提出了描述稳定性相对性能的指标。该指标可以指导点火靶设计,为LPI和RTI提供需要的裕量空间,是点火阈值因子（ITF）的补充。     

超短超强激光与薄膜靶作用的光学光谱

在SILEX-Ⅰ超短超强激光装置上,研究了30 fs,1.0×1019 W/cm2超短超强激光脉冲与薄膜靶作用产生的发射光谱。对于3 μm厚的铜靶,在激光沿靶面的镜面反射方向观测到二倍频和3/2倍频光谱,且都发生了红移。由红移量推测出等离子体反射面的后退速度约为2.6×108 cm/s。对于200 nm厚CH靶,沿激光传播方向观察到超连续光谱,光谱波长范围从约300 nm延伸至约940 nm。利用MULTI-1D流体程序,模拟了超强激光的预脉冲与薄膜靶相互作用过程,结果表明,预脉冲对预等离子体的密度分布有显著影响,是导致实验观测光谱差异的原因。     

超短超强激光与薄膜靶作用的光学光谱

 在SILEX-Ⅰ超短超强激光装置上,研究了30 fs,1.0×10¹⁹ W/cm²超短超强激光脉冲与薄膜靶作用产生的发射光谱。对于3 μm厚的铜靶,在激光沿靶面的镜面反射方向观测到二倍频和3/2倍频光谱,且都发生了红移。由红移量推测出等离子体反射面的后退速度约为2.6×10⁸ cm/s。对于200 nm厚CH靶,沿激光传播方向观察到超连续光谱,光谱波长范围从约300 nm延伸至约940 nm。利用MULTI-1D流体程序,模拟了超强激光的预脉冲与薄膜靶相互作用过程,结果表明,预脉冲对预等离子体的密度分布有显著影响,是导致实验观测光谱差异的原因。     

短脉冲强激光打靶产生的质子角分布实验研究

 采用短脉冲强激光辐照固体双层薄靶的方式对质子束的产生及质子束角分布开展了实验研究。在SILEX-Ⅰ短脉冲激光装置上利用脉宽为30 fs的强激光辐照背面镀有CH膜的金膜靶,在距离靶背3.3 cm处采用CR39记录靶背出射的质子角分布。通过分析靶背出射质子的角分布,研究了激光功率密度和对比度对质子加速机制的影响。研究结果表明:占主导地位的质子产生和加速机制对激光预脉冲比较敏感。激光预脉冲较弱时,靶背壳电场加速机制占主导地位;当激光预脉冲较强时,靶前加速机制占主导地位。此外,还对导致质子环形分布的磁场大小进行了估算。     

Calorimetric study of phase transitions in nanocomposites of quantum dots and a liquid crystal

The complex specific heat is measured over a wide temperature range for the liquid crystal (LC) 4-cyano-4-octylbiphenyl (8CB) and cadmium sulfate quantum dots (QDs) composites as a function of QD concentration. The thermal scans were performed under near-equilibrium conditions for all samples having QDs weight percent (φ_w) from 0 to 3wt% over a wide range of temperature well above and below the two transitions in pure 8CB. Isotropic (I) to nematic (N) and nematic to smectic-A (SmA) phase transitions evolve in character and their transition temperatures offset by (～2.3 to 2.6 K) lower for all composite samples as compared to that in pure 8CB. The enthalpy change associated with I–N phase transitions shows slightly different behavior on heating and cooling and it also shows crossover behavior at lower and higher QD content. The enthalpy change associated with N–SmA phase transitions is independent of QD loading and thermal treatment. Given the homogeneous and random distribution of QD in these nanocomposites, we interpret that these results as arising that the nematic phase imposes self-assembly on QDs to form one-dimensional arrays leading to QDs and induces net local disordering effect in LC media.     

飞秒激光驱动纳米多孔靶产生X射线转化效率实验研究

利用多孔结构原理,研制了厚度为100 m、孔隙率为70%的纳米多孔铜靶,密度比为固体铜的30%。实验在中国工程物理研究院星光Ⅲ激光装置飞秒激光束上进行,激光功率密度大于1.61018 W/cm2,脉宽为30 fs。利用16 bit单光子CCD获取了X射线能谱,测得铜K线光子产额为2.9108 photonsr-1s-1,转换效率为0.008 38%。与压制加工的平面Cu靶相比,多孔结构靶的X射线产额约为平面靶的1.8倍,表明纳米多孔结构能够有效增强飞秒激光能量吸收,提高超热电子和X射线转化效率。     

超短超强激光与固体靶相互作用中发射质子的截止能量估算

 根据超短超强激光与固体靶相互作用中质子靶前表面加速和靶后表面加速两种机制,对在SILEX-I激光器上进行的质子加速实验中获得的质子最大截止能量进行了估算,认为实验中质子产生的主要机制是靶后表面加速。同时结果表明：对该装置的实验条件,靶前表面加速机制可以产生质子的最大能量约为2 MeV;靶后表面加速机制可以产生的质子的最大能量约11 MeV。另外用Multi2005程序计算了激光器信噪比对靶后表面加速机制的影响。计算表明：SILEX-I激光器信噪比达到108∶1时,预脉冲对用5 μm靶时鞘层加速电场的影响可以忽略。     

Interferometric inspection of glass shell laser targets

Inspection of glass shell laser fusion targets using a Zamin Lebedev interferometer is described. Computed calibration curves for wall thickness calculation are reported.     

强激光与高密度气体相互作用中电子和离子加速的数值模拟

在现有的一维粒子模拟程序的基础上发展了带光电离和碰撞电离及蒙特卡罗两体碰撞的模拟程序(1D PIC-MCC). 用此程序模拟研究了短脉冲激光与He气靶相互作用时电子和离子的加速过程. 研究表明当强激光与过临界密度的微米厚度的平面靶相互作用时，靶前表面物质将被激光脉冲前沿迅速离化；新生的电子被激光场有质动力加速成为高能电子，这些电子穿入到靶内，通过电子碰撞电离离化靶内物质；一部分高能电子穿透靶后，会在靶的后表面形成强的电荷分离场，该场迅速离化靶后表面物质，同时使得后表面离子得到加速. 部分穿透靶的超热电子将被电荷分离场重新拉回靶内，在靶的前后表面振荡. 一些振荡电子在此过程中得到电荷分离场加速，离开前表面，在前表面也形成电荷分离场，使前表面离子得到加速. 关键词： 激光等离子体 光电离和碰撞电离 电子加速 离子加速     

采用双层靶提高激光薄膜相互作用中加速质子的产额

在激光等离子体相互作用实验中测量到的加速质子,来源于薄膜靶表面的碳氢沾染物。为了提供稳定充足的质子源,设计一种新的复合靶,在2.5 μm塑料溅射200 nm 金薄层形成双层靶,并在中等强度激光功率密度下开展研究,采用磁谱仪和CR-39探测器测量得到其能谱,结果表明：双层靶结构能够有效地增加质子的产额,并可能改善加速质子束的单能性。     

Anomalous absorption of intense electromagnetic radiation in a non-uniform overdense plasma

In this work, we present numerical computation of anomalous absorption of a powerful electromagnetic wave incident normally, on an isothermal plasma with a linear density gradient. We consider first, the “intensity” dependence of anomalous absorption treating two important cases: one that of a typical high temperature, high density fusion plasma occurring in a laser-pellet application and the other that of an ionospheric (F-layer) plasma. It is found that for low incident powers, reflection is almost constant, corresponding essentially, to classical electronion collisions. As we increase the incident power, however, we find that the reflection starts dropping and the absorption takes over. This result is interpreted in terms of the instability generated anomalous absorption of the incident wave. Next, we consider the “wavelength” dependence of anomalous absorption, wherein we observe that the effect of anomalous absorption is increasing for longer wavelengths of the incident laser radiation.     

中空等离子体通道中强激光脉冲对电子的加速

分析了中空等离子体通道内传播的强激光脉冲电磁场中注入电子的运动,发现当激光脉冲强度超过某个阈值时,电子能获得有效的纵向加速并自动与脉冲分离.所得结果为实验提供了参考和依据.