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Characterization of laser-driven proton beams from near-critical density targets using copper activation

Part of: Culham Thesis Prize Winners

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2014

L. Willingale ,
S. R. Nagel ,
A. G. R. Thomas ,
C. Bellei ,
R. J. Clarke ,
A. E. Dangor ,
R. Heathcote ,
M. C. Kaluza ,
C. Kamperidis  and
S. Kneip
...Show all authors
L. Willingale*
Affiliation:
Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
S. R. Nagel
Affiliation:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
A. G. R. Thomas
Affiliation:
Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
C. Bellei
Affiliation:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
R. J. Clarke
Affiliation:
Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK
A. E. Dangor
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
R. Heathcote
Affiliation:
Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK
M. C. Kaluza
Affiliation:
Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany Helmholtz Institute Jena, Frbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
C. Kamperidis
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
S. Kneip
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
K. Krushelnick
Affiliation:
Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
N. Lopes
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK GoLP, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
S. P. D. Mangles
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
W. Nazarov
Affiliation:
High Energy Laser Materials R&D Laboratory, University of St Andrews, Unit 4, St Andrews NTC, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
P. M. Nilson
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
Z. Najmudin
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
*
‡Email address for correspondence: wlouise@umich.edu
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Abstract

Copper activation was used to characterize high-energy proton beam acceleration from near-critical density plasma targets. An enhancement was observed when decreasing the target density, which is indicative for an increased laser-accelerated hot electron density at the rear target-vacuum boundary. This is due to channel formation and collimation of the hot electrons inside the target. Particle-in-cell simulations support the experimental observations and show the correlation between channel depth and longitudinal electric field strength is directly correlated with the proton acceleration.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 81 , Issue 1 , January 2015 , 365810102
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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Footnotes

†

Previous address: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom

References

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