Low- and medium-mass ion acceleration driven by petawatt laser plasma interactions

P McKenna, Filip Lindau, Olle Lundh, DC Carroll, RJ Clarke, KWD Ledingham, T McCanny, D Neely, APL Robinson, L Robson, PT Simpson, Claes-Göran Wahlström, M Zepf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

An experimental investigation of low- and medium-mass ion acceleration from resistively heated thin foil targets, irradiated by picosecond laser pulses at intensities up to 5 × 10^20 Wcm−2, is reported. It is found that the spectral distributions of ions, up to multi-MeV/nucleon energies, accelerated from the rear surface of the target are broadly consistent with previously reported measurements made at intensities up to 5 × 10^19 Wcm−2. Properties of the backward-directed beams of ions accelerated from the target front surface are also measured, and it is found that, compared with the rear surface, higher ion numbers and charges, and similar ion energies are produced. Additionally, the scaling of the maximum ion energy as a function of ion charge and laser
intensity are measured and compared with the predictions of a numerical model.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)B223-B231
JournalPlasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Volume49
Issue numberB223
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

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