Abstract Details
Towards GeV Laser-driven ion acceleration
Author: B. Manuel Hegelich
Requested Type: Oral Only
Submitted: 2009-04-09 07:48:57
Co-authors: L. Yin, B. J. Albright, K. Flippo, C. Gautier, A. Henig, R. Johnson, D. Jung, D. Kiefer, S. Letzring, V. Liechtenstein, R. Shah, T. Shimada, D. Habs, J. C. Fernández
Contact Info:
LANL & LMU Munich
P.O. Box 1663, Bikini At. Rd
Los Alamos, NM 87545
USA
Abstract Text:
Particle acceleration with high power lasers has been demonstrated by various mechanisms, accelerating electrons to GeV energies. So far, ion energies were stuck in the MeV range unless one could reach intensities ≥1024 W/cm2. These parameters are discouraging for advanced accelerator concepts and unacceptable for applications like Ion-driven Fast Ignition (IFI) or hadron therapy. The realization of ultrahigh contrast lasers and free standing nm-thin laser targets however marks a paradigm shift. The combination of these two techniques enables a number of new ion acceleration mechanisms that have been observed in simulations and promise GeV ion energies. Examples are the Break-Out Afterburner (BOA) acceleration and the Phase-Stable Acceleration (PSA) regime, also reported as Radiation Pressure Acceleration (RPA).
Here we present the first experimental realization of the BOA acceleration mechanism, achieving 0.5 GeV carbon ions out of a single laser acceleration stage at the Los Alamos Trident laser. Full 3D-PIC simulations at full solid density confirm earlier 1- and 2D results, and are in good agreement with the experimental data. Moreover, having been performed before the experiment, they exhibit extraordinary predictive power. We will discuss the requirements this poses on the drive lasers especially concerning the pulse contrast and report first experimental results in realizing those conditions and how to scale to future lasers.
Comments: