Ultraintense laser-produced fast-electron propagation in gas jets

Background pressure effects on MeV protons accelerated via relativistically intense laser-plasma interactions

We present how chamber background pressure affects energetic proton acceleration from an ultra-intense laser incident on a thin liquid target. A high-repetition-rate (100 Hz), 3.5 mJ laser with peak intensity of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$8 \times 10^{18}\,\text {Wcm}^{-2}$$\end{document}8×1018Wcm-2 impinged on a 450 nm sheet of flowing liquid ethylene glycol. For these parameters, we experimentally demonstrate a threshold in laser-to-proton conversion efficiency at background pressures \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$< 8\,\text {Torr}$$\end{document}<8Torr, wherein the overall energy in ions \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$>1\,\text {MeV}$$\end{document}>1MeV increases by an order of magnitude. Proton acceleration becomes increasingly efficient at lower background pressures and laser-to-proton conversion efficiency approaches a constant as the vacuum pressure decreases. We present two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and a charge neutralization model to support our experimental findings. Our experiment demonstrates that high vacuum is not required for energetic ion acceleration, which relaxes target debris requirements and facilitates applications of high-repetition rate laser-based proton accelerators.

Dynamics of the Electromagnetic Fields Induced by Fast Electron Propagation in Near-Solid-Density Media

The propagation of fast electron currents in near solid-density media was investigated via proton probing. Fast currents were generated inside dielectric foams via irradiation with a short (∼0.6  ps) laser pulse focused at relativistic intensities (Iλ^{2}∼4×10^{19}  W cm^{-2} μm^{2}). Proton probing provided a spatially and temporally resolved characterization of the evolution of the electromagnetic fields and of the associated net currents directly inside the target. The progressive growth of beam filamentation was temporally resolved and information on the divergence of the fast electron beam was obtained. Hybrid simulations of electron propagation in dense media indicate that resistive effects provide a major contribution to field generation and explain well the topology, magnitude, and temporal growth of the fields observed in the experiment. Estimations of the growth rates for different types of instabilities pinpoints the resistive instability as the most likely dominant mechanism of beam filamentation.

Stimulated Raman scattering from sulfur-II produced by laser decomposition of liquid carbon disulfide

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of sulfur-II (S-II) phase was investigated by laser decomposition of liquid carbon disulfide. As a matter of fact, above a threshold of the laser intensity, it is suggested that a strong shock wave is generated in the liquid carbon disulfide, which is decomposed owing to the induced high dynamic pressure and temperature. One bending mode E frequency at 289 cm(-1) and one symmetric stretching mode A1 frequency at 490 cm(-1) of S-II phase were observed. The SRS spectra indicated that S-II structure is formed by laser decomposition, as the strong shock wave generates the stable pressure-temperature range of S-II phase. The dynamic high-pressure and static-electric field generated by laser-induced breakdown results in the softening A1 mode becoming more hardened.

Short intense laser pulse collapse in near-critical plasma

It is observed that the interaction of an intense ultrashort laser pulse with a near-critical gas jet results in the pulse collapse and the deposition of a significant fraction of the energy. This deposition happens in a small and well-localized volume in the rising part of the gas jet, where the electrons are efficiently accelerated and heated. A collisionless plasma expansion over ~ 150 μm at a subrelativistic velocity (~ c/3) has been optically monitored in time and space, and attributed to the quasistatic field ionization of the gas associated with the hot electron current. Numerical simulations in good agreement with the observations suggest the acceleration in the collapse region of relativistic electrons, along with the excitation of a sizable magnetic dipole that sustains the electron current over several picoseconds.

Instabilities for a relativistic electron beam interacting with a laser-irradiated plasma

The effects of a radiation field (RF) on the unstable modes developed in a relativistic electron beam-plasma interaction are investigated assuming that ω(0) > ω(p), where ω(0) is the frequency of the RF and ω(p) is the plasma frequency. These unstable modes are parametrically coupled to each other due to the RF and are a mix between two-stream and parametric instabilities. The dispersion equations are derived by the linearization of the kinetic equations for a beam-plasma system as well as the Maxwell equations. In order to highlight the effect of the radiation field we present a comparison of our analytical and numerical results obtained for nonzero RF with those for vanishing RF. Assuming that the drift velocity u(b) of the beam is parallel to the wave vector k of the excitations two particular transversal and parallel configurations of the polarization vector E(0) of the RF with respect to k are considered in detail. It is shown that in both geometries resonant and nonresonant couplings between different modes are possible. The largest growth rates are expected at the transversal configuration when E(0) is perpendicular to k. In this case it is demonstrated that, in general, the spectrum of the unstable modes in the ω-k plane is split into two distinct domains with long and short wavelengths, where the unstable modes are mainly sensitive to the beam or the RF parameters, respectively. In the parallel configuration, E(0)∥k, and at short wavelengths the growth rates of the unstable modes are sensitive to both beam and RF parameters remaining insensitive to the RF at long wavelengths.

Macroscopic transport of mega-ampere electron currents in aligned carbon-nanotube arrays

We demonstrate that aligned carbon-nanotube arrays are efficient transporters of laser-generated mega-ampere electron currents over distances as large as a millimeter. A direct polarimetric measurement of the temporal and the spatial evolution of the megagauss magnetic fields (as high as 120 MG) at the target rear at an intensity of (10(18)-10(19))  W/cm2 was corroborated by the rear-side hot electron spectra. Simulations show that such high magnetic flux densities can only be generated by a very well collimated fast electron bunch.

Generalized Ohm's law for a background plasma in the presence of relativistic charged particles

A generalized Ohm's law is derived for a system composed of a background magnetohydrodynamic plasma and a lower density relativistic charged-particle distribution. The interpretation of Ohmic electric fields occurring due to force balance breaks down for such a system and instead an approach based on Maxwell's equations along with the particle flux equations is necessary. Three additional terms arise in Ohm's law and each is verified numerically.

Study of ultraintense laser-produced fast-electron propagation and filamentation in insulator and metal foil targets by optical emission diagnostics

The transport of an intense electron beam produced by ultrahigh intensity laser pulses through metals and insulators has been studied by high resolution imaging of the optical emission from the targets. In metals, the emission is mainly due to coherent transition radiation, while in plastic, it is due to the Cerenkov effect and it is orders of magnitude larger. It is also observed that in the case of insulators the fast-electron beam undergoes strong filamentation and the number of filaments increases with the target thickness. This filamented behavior in insulators is due to the instability of the ionization front related to the electric field ionization process. The filamentary structures characteristic growth rate and characteristic transversal scale are in agreement with analytical predictions.

Demonstration of bulk acceleration of ions in ultraintense laser interactions with low-density foams

Ion acceleration inside low-density foams irradiated by ultraintense laser pulses has been studied experimentally and theoretically. It is found that the ion generation is closely correlated with the suppressed hot electron transport inside the foams. Particle-in-cell simulations suggest that localized electrostatic fields with multi peaks around the surfaces of lamellar layers inside the foams are induced. These fields inhibit hot electron transport and meanwhile accelerate ions inside the foams, forming a bulk acceleration in contrast to the surface acceleration at the front and rear sides of a thin solid target.