Enhanced Proton Acceleration by an Ultrashort Laser Interaction with Structured Dynamic Plasma Targets

A. Zigler, S. Eisenman, M. Botton, E. Nahum, E. Schleifer, A. Baspaly, I. Pomerantz, F. Abicht, J. Branzel, G. Priebe, S. Steinke, A. Andreev, M. Schnuerer, W. Sandner, D. Gordon, P. Sprangle, and K. W. D. Ledingham
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 215004 – Published 21 May 2013

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate a notably enhanced acceleration of protons to high energy by relatively modest ultrashort laser pulses and structured dynamical plasma targets. Realized by special deposition of snow targets on sapphire substrates and using carefully planned prepulses, high proton yields emitted in a narrow solid angle with energy above 21 MeV were detected from a 5 TW laser. Our simulations predict that using the proposed scheme protons can be accelerated to energies above 150 MeV by 100 TW laser systems.

  • Received 31 January 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.215004

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Zigler1, S. Eisenman1, M. Botton1,*, E. Nahum1, E. Schleifer1, A. Baspaly1, I. Pomerantz1, F. Abicht2, J. Branzel2, G. Priebe2, S. Steinke2, A. Andreev2, M. Schnuerer2, W. Sandner2, D. Gordon3, P. Sprangle3, and K. W. D. Ledingham4

  • 1Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
  • 2Max Born Institute, Berlin D-12489, Germany
  • 3Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
  • 4University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom

  • *Corresponding author. bdmoti@phys.huji.ac.il

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Vol. 110, Iss. 21 — 24 May 2013

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