• Open Access

Simple model of the slingshot effect

Gaetano Fiore and Sergio De Nicola
Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 19, 071302 – Published 21 July 2016

Abstract

We present a detailed quantitative description of the recently proposed “slingshot effect.” Namely, we determine a broad range of conditions under which the impact of a very short and intense laser pulse normally onto a low-density plasma (or matter locally completely ionized into a plasma by the pulse) causes the expulsion of a bunch of surface electrons in the direction opposite to the one of propagation of the pulse, and the detailed, ready-for-experiments features of the expelled electrons (energy spectrum, collimation, etc). The effect is due to the combined actions of the ponderomotive force and the huge longitudinal field arising from charge separation. Our predictions are based on estimating 3D corrections to a simple, yet powerful plane 2-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model where the equations to be solved are reduced to a system of Hamilton equations in one dimension (or a collection of) which become autonomous after the pulse has overcome the electrons. Experimental tests seem to be at hand. If confirmed by the latter, the effect would provide a new extraction and acceleration mechanism for electrons, alternative to traditional radio-frequency-based or Laser-Wake-Field ones.

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  • Received 13 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.19.071302

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Gaetano Fiore1,3 and Sergio De Nicola2,3

  • 1Dip. di Matematica e Applicazioni, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Complesso Universitario M. S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
  • 2SPIN-CNR, Complesso MSA, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
  • 3INFN, Sez. di Napoli, Complesso MSA, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy

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Issue

Vol. 19, Iss. 7 — July 2016

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