1
|
Wilson R, King M, Butler NMH, Carroll DC, Frazer TP, Duff MJ, Higginson A, Dance RJ, Jarrett J, Davidson ZE, Armstrong CD, Liu H, Hawkes SJ, Clarke RJ, Neely D, Gray RJ, McKenna P. Influence of spatial-intensity contrast in ultraintense laser-plasma interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1910. [PMID: 35115579 PMCID: PMC8814164 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05655-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing the intensity to which high power laser pulses are focused has opened up new research possibilities, including promising new approaches to particle acceleration and phenomena such as high field quantum electrodynamics. Whilst the intensity achievable with a laser pulse of a given power can be increased via tighter focusing, the focal spot profile also plays an important role in the interaction physics. Here we show that the spatial-intensity distribution, and specifically the ratio of the intensity in the peak of the laser focal spot to the halo surrounding it, is important in the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with solid targets. By comparing proton acceleration measurements from foil targets irradiated with by a near-diffraction-limited wavelength scale focal spot and larger F-number focusing, we find that this spatial-intensity contrast parameter strongly influences laser energy coupling to fast electrons. We find that for multi-petawatt pulses, spatial-intensity contrast is potentially as important as temporal-intensity contrast.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Wilson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M King
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - N M H Butler
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - T P Frazer
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M J Duff
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - A Higginson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - R J Dance
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - J Jarrett
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - Z E Davidson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - C D Armstrong
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - H Liu
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK.,Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - S J Hawkes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D Neely
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Gray
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - P McKenna
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK. .,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Assessment of Angular Spectral Distributions of Laser Accelerated Particles for Simulation of Radiation Dose Map in Target Normal Sheath Acceleration Regime of High Power Laser-Thin Solid Target Interaction—Comparison with Experiments. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10124390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An adequate simulation model has been used for the calculation of angular and energy distributions of electrons, protons, and photons emitted during a high-power laser, 5-µm thick Ag target interaction. Their energy spectra and fluencies have been calculated between 0 and 360 degrees around the interaction point with a step angle of five degrees. Thus, the contribution of each ionizing species to the total fluency value has been established. Considering the geometry of the experimental set-up, a map of the radiation dose inside the target vacuum chamber has been simulated, using the Geant4 General Particle Source code, and further compared with the experimental one. Maximum values of the measured dose of the order of tens of mGy per laser shot have been obtained in the direction normal to the target at about 30 cm from the interaction point.
Collapse
|
3
|
Scott GG, Carroll DC, Astbury S, Clarke RJ, Hernandez-Gomez C, King M, Alejo A, Arteaga IY, Dance RJ, Higginson A, Hook S, Liao G, Liu H, Mirfayzi SR, Rusby DR, Selwood MP, Spindloe C, Tolley MK, Wagner F, Zemaityte E, Borghesi M, Kar S, Li Y, Roth M, McKenna P, Neely D. Dual Ion Species Plasma Expansion from Isotopically Layered Cryogenic Targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:204801. [PMID: 29864368 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.204801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A dual ion species plasma expansion scheme from a novel target structure is introduced, in which a nanometer-thick layer of pure deuterium exists as a buffer species at the target-vacuum interface of a hydrogen plasma. Modeling shows that by controlling the deuterium layer thickness, a composite H^{+}/D^{+} ion beam can be produced by target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), with an adjustable ratio of ion densities, as high energy proton acceleration is suppressed by the acceleration of a spectrally peaked deuteron beam. Particle in cell modeling shows that a (4.3±0.7) MeV per nucleon deuteron beam is accelerated, in a directional cone of half angle 9°. Experimentally, this was investigated using state of the art cryogenic targetry and a spectrally peaked deuteron beam of (3.4±0.7) MeV per nucleon was measured in a cone of half angle 7°-9°, while maintaining a significant TNSA proton component.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G G Scott
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - S Astbury
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - R J Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C Hernandez-Gomez
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - M King
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - A Alejo
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - I Y Arteaga
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - R J Dance
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - A Higginson
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - S Hook
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - G Liao
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - H Liu
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - S R Mirfayzi
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - D R Rusby
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - M P Selwood
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C Spindloe
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - M K Tolley
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - F Wagner
- PHELIX group, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt 64291, Germany
| | - E Zemaityte
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - M Borghesi
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - S Kar
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - Y Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - M Roth
- Fachbereich Physik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt 64289, Germany
| | - P McKenna
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - D Neely
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gonzalez-Izquierdo B, King M, Gray RJ, Wilson R, Dance RJ, Powell H, Maclellan DA, McCreadie J, Butler NMH, Hawkes S, Green JS, Murphy CD, Stockhausen LC, Carroll DC, Booth N, Scott GG, Borghesi M, Neely D, McKenna P. Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12891. [PMID: 27624920 PMCID: PMC5027290 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Control of the collective response of plasma particles to intense laser light is intrinsic to relativistic optics, the development of compact laser-driven particle and radiation sources, as well as investigations of some laboratory astrophysics phenomena. We recently demonstrated that a relativistic plasma aperture produced in an ultra-thin foil at the focus of intense laser radiation can induce diffraction, enabling polarization-based control of the collective motion of plasma electrons. Here we show that under these conditions the electron dynamics are mapped into the beam of protons accelerated via strong charge-separation-induced electrostatic fields. It is demonstrated experimentally and numerically via 3D particle-in-cell simulations that the degree of ellipticity of the laser polarization strongly influences the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of multi-MeV protons. The influence on both sheath-accelerated and radiation pressure-accelerated protons is investigated. This approach opens up a potential new route to control laser-driven ion sources. Intense laser pulse interaction with ultra-thin foils constitutes a promising approach for proton acceleration. Here the authors show that the degree of ellipticity in the laser beam polarization can be used to control the proton beam profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin King
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - Ross J Gray
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - Robbie Wilson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - Rachel J Dance
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - Haydn Powell
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - David A Maclellan
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | - John McCreadie
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| | | | - Steve Hawkes
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - James S Green
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Chris D Murphy
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Luca C Stockhausen
- Centro de Láseres Pulsados (CLPU), M5 Parque Científico, 37185 Salamanca, Spain
| | - David C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Nicola Booth
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Graeme G Scott
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Marco Borghesi
- Centre for Plasma Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
| | - David Neely
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Paul McKenna
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kar S, Markey K, Borghesi M, Carroll DC, McKenna P, Neely D, Quinn MN, Zepf M. Ballistic focusing of polyenergetic protons driven by petawatt laser pulses. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 106:225003. [PMID: 21702607 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.106.225003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
By using a thick (250 μm) target with 350 μm radius of curvature, the intense proton beam driven by a petawatt laser is focused at a distance of ∼1 mm from the target for all detectable energies up to ∼25 MeV. The thickness of the foil facilitates beam focusing as it suppresses the dynamic evolution of the beam divergence caused by peaked electron flux distribution at the target rear side. In addition, reduction in inherent beam divergence due to the target thickness relaxes the curvature requirement for short-range focusing. Energy resolved mapping of the proton beam trajectories from mesh radiographs infers the focusing and the data agree with a simple geometrical modeling based on ballistic beam propagation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Kar
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Antici P, Chen SN, Gremillet L, Grismayer T, Mora P, Audebert P, Fuchs J. Time and space resolved interferometry for laser-generated fast electron measurements. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2010; 81:113302. [PMID: 21133464 DOI: 10.1063/1.3499250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A technique developed to measure in time and space the dynamics of the electron populations resulting from the irradiation of thin solids by ultraintense lasers is presented. It is a phase reflectometry technique that uses an optical probe beam reflecting off the target rear surface. The phase of the probe beam is sensitive to both laser-produced fast electrons of low-density streaming into vacuum and warm solid density electrons that are heated by the fast electrons. A time and space resolved interferometer allows to recover the phase of the probe beam sampling the target. The entire diagnostic is computationally modeled by calculating the probe beam phase when propagating through plasma density profiles originating from numerical calculations of plasma expansion. Matching the modeling to the experimental measurements allows retrieving the initial electron density and temperature of both populations locally at the target surface with very high temporal and spatial resolution (~4 ps, 6 μm). Limitations and approximations of the diagnostic are discussed and analyzed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Antici
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Via E. Fermi, Frascati 40-00044, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Antici P, Fuchs J, Borghesi M, Gremillet L, Grismayer T, Sentoku Y, d'Humières E, Cecchetti CA, Mancić A, Pipahl AC, Toncian T, Willi O, Mora P, Audebert P. Hot and cold electron dynamics following high-intensity laser matter interaction. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2008; 101:105004. [PMID: 18851222 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.101.105004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The characteristics of fast electrons laser accelerated from solids and expanding into a vacuum from the rear target surface have been measured via optical probe reflectometry. This allows access to the time- and space-resolved dynamics of the fast electron density and temperature and of the energy partition into bulk (cold) electrons. In particular, it is found that the density of the hot electrons on the target rear surface is bell shaped, and that their mean energy at the same location is radially homogeneous and decreases with the target thickness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Antici
- LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|