Download or read book Ion Acceleration from High Intensity Laser Plasma Interactions written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Optimization of Ion Acceleration from High intensity Laser plasma Interactions written by Hsuan-Gu Chou and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High-energy (100s MeV), high spectral quality ion beams are important for many applications like radiography of plasmas, isochoric heating of materials, and tumor therapy. Advances in the development of intense short pulse lasers, recognized with the 2018 Nobel Prize in physics, have been seen as a very promising route to drive compact ion beam sources. However, despite signficant progress over the past two decades, the control of the ion beam properties remains an outstanding challenge. In this Thesis, we discuss two approaches for controlling and optimizing these laser-driven ion beams, using particle-in-cell simulations and theoretical analysis. First, we show that in laser radiation pressure acceleration, the spectral quality of the ion beam is determined by electron heating, which is dictated by the growth of a surface instability. We show that its growth rate imposes an upper limit on the laser pulse duration, and can limit the maximum peak ion beam energy. Next, we explore the development of a hybrid accelerator that combines the advantages of laser-driven beams (compact, high-charge, 10s MeV) with high-gradient RF acceleration in a meter-scale linac, eliminating the large and expensive radio frequency quadrupoles for bunching. Our one-to-one simulations show that the space-charge field plays a critical role in the acceleration effectiveness, and that by tuning the distance at which the laser-driven beam enters the RF, the space-charge field can be controlled such that it actually increases the beam capture. These are important in guiding future experimental developments, for example for the ultrashort laser pulses at state-of-the-art laser facilities and high-gradient linacs, for which we showcase the possibility of a compact (4.5 m) hybrid accelerator that produces a high-quality, high-charge 250 MeV proton beam.

Download or read book High Power Laser Plasma Interaction written by C. S. Liu and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-23 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of high-power laser-plasma interaction has grown in the last few decades, with applications ranging from laser-driven fusion and laser acceleration of charged particles to laser ablation of materials. This comprehensive text covers fundamental concepts including electromagnetics and electrostatic waves, parameter instabilities, laser driven fusion,charged particle acceleration and gamma rays. Two important techniques of laser proton interactions including target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) and radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) are discussed in detail, along with their applications in the field of medicine. An analytical framework is developed for laser beat-wave and wakefield excitation of plasma waves and subsequent acceleration of electrons. The book covers parametric oscillator model and studies the coupling of laser light with collective modes.

Download or read book Frontiers in High Energy Density Physics written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-05-11 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent scientific and technical advances have made it possible to create matter in the laboratory under conditions relevant to astrophysical systems such as supernovae and black holes. These advances will also benefit inertial confinement fusion research and the nation's nuclear weapon's program. The report describes the major research facilities on which such high energy density conditions can be achieved and lists a number of key scientific questions about high energy density physics that can be addressed by this research. Several recommendations are presented that would facilitate the development of a comprehensive strategy for realizing these research opportunities.

Download or read book Mechanism and Control of High intensity laser driven Ion Acceleration written by Teh Lin and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book On the Acceleration and Transport of Electrons Generated by Intense Laser Plasma Interactions at Sharp Interfaces written by Joshua Joseph May and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The continued development of the chirped pulse amplification technique has allowed for the development of lasers with powers of in excess of $10^{15}W$, for pulse lengths with durations of between .01 and 10 picoseconds, and which can be focused to energy densities greater than 100 giga-atmospheres. When such lasers are focused onto material targets, the possibility of creating particle beams with energy fluxes of comparable parameters arises. Such interactions have a number of theorized applications. For instance, in the Fast Ignition concept for Inertial Confinement Fusion \cite{Tabak:1994vx}, a high-intensity laser efficiently transfers its energy into an electron beam with an appropriate spectra which is then transported into a compressed target and initiate a fusion reaction. Another possible use is the so called Radiation Pressure Acceleration mechanism, in which a high-intensity, circularly polarized laser is used to create a mono-energetic ion beam which could then be used for medical imaging and treatment, among other applications. For this latter application, it is important that the laser energy is transferred to the ions and not to the electrons. However the physics of such high energy-density laser-matter interactions is highly kinetic and non-linear, and presently not fully understood. In this dissertation, we use the Particle-in-Cell code OSIRIS \cite{Fonseca:2002, Hemker:1999} to explore the generation and transport of relativistic particle beams created by high intensity lasers focused onto solid density matter at normal incidence. To explore the generation of relativistic electrons by such interactions, we use primarily one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D), and a few three-dimensional simulations (3D). We initially examine the idealized case of normal incidence of relatively short, plane-wave lasers on flat, sharp interfaces. We find that in 1D the results are highly dependent on the initial temperature of the plasma, with significant absorption into relativistic electrons only possible when the temperature is high in the direction parallel to the electric field of the laser. In multi-dimensions, absorption into relativistic electrons arises independent of the initial temperature for both fixed and mobile ions, although the absorption is higher for mobile ions. In most cases however, absorption remains at $10's$ of percent, and as such a standing wave structure from the incoming and reflected wave is setup in front of the plasma surface. The peak momentum of the accelerated electrons is found to be $2 a_0 m_e c$, where $a_0 \equiv e A_0/m_e c^2$ is the normalized vector potential of the laser in vacuum, $e$ is the electron charge, $m_e$ is the electron mass, and $c$ is the speed of light. We consider cases for which $a_0>1$. We therefore call this the $2 a_0$ acceleration process. Using particle tracking, we identify the detailed physics behind the $2 a_0$ process and find it is related to the standing wave structure of the fields. We observe that the particles which gain energy do so by interacting with the laser electric field within a quarter wavelength of the surface where it is at an anti-node (it is a node at the surface). We find that only particles with high initial momentum -- in particular high transverse momentum -- are able to navigate through the laser magnetic field as its magnitude decreases in time each half laser cycle (it is an anti-node at the surface) to penetrate a quarter wavelength into the vacuum where the laser electric field is large. For a circularly polarized laser the magnetic field amplitude never decreases at the surface, instead its direction simply rotates. This prevents electrons from leaving the plasma and they therefore cannot gain energy from the electric field. For pulses with longer durations ($\gtrsim 250fs$), or for plasmas which do not have initially sharp interfaces, we discover that in addition to the $2 a_0$ acceleration at the surface, relativistic particles are also generated in an underdense region in front of the target. These particles have energies without a sharp upper bound. Although accelerating these particles removes energy from the incoming laser, and although the surface of the plasma does not stay perfectly flat and so the standing wave structure becomes modified, we find in most cases, the $2 a_0$ acceleration mechanism occurs similarly at the surface and that it still dominates the overall absorption of the laser. To explore the generation of relativistic electrons at a solid surface and transport of the heat flux of these electrons in cold or warm dense matter, we compare OSIRIS simulations with results from an experiment performed on the OMEGA laser system at the University of Rochester. In that experiment, a thin layer of gold placed on a slab of plastic is illuminated by an intense laser. A greater than order-of-magnitude decrease in the fluence of hot electrons is observed when those electrons are transported through a plasma created from a shock-heated plastic foam, as compared to transport through cold matter (unshocked plastic foam) at somewhat higher density. Our simulations indicate two reasons for the experimental result, both related to the magnetic field. The primary effect is the generation of a collimating B-field around the electron beam in the cold plastic foam, caused by the resistivity of the plastic. We use a Monte Carlo collision algorithm implemented in OSIRIS to model the experiment. The incoming relativistic electrons generate a return current. This generates a resistive electric field which then generates a magnetic field from Faraday's law. This magnetic field collimates the forward moving relativistic electrons. The collisionality of both the plastic and the gold are likely to be greater in the experiment than the 2D simulations where we used a lower density for the gold (to make the simulations possible) which heats up more. In addition, the use of 2D simulations also causes the plastic to heat up more than expected. We compensated for this by increasing the collisionality of the plasma in the simulations and this led to better agreement. The second effect is the growth of a strong, reflecting B-field at the edge of the plastic region in the shock heated material, created by the convective transport of this field back towards the beam source due to the neutralizing return current. Both effects appear to be caused primarily by the difference is density in the two cases. Owing to its higher heat capacity, the higher density material does not heat up as much from the heat flux coming from the gold, which leads to a larger resistivity. Lastly, we explored a numerical effect which has particular relevance to these simulations, due to their high energy and plasma densities. This effect is caused by the use of macro particles (which represent many real particles) which have the correct charge to mass ratio but higher charge. Therefore, any physics of a single charge that scales as $q^2/m$ will be artificially high. Physics that involves scales smaller than the macro-particle size can be mitigated through the use of finite size particles. However, for relativistic particles the spatial scale that matters is the skin depth and the cell sizes and particle sizes are both smaller than this. This allows the wakes created by these particles to be artificially high which causes them to slow down much faster than a single electron. We studied this macro-particle stopping power theoretically and in OSIRIS simulations. We also proposed a solution in which particles are split in to smaller particles as they gain energy. We call this effect Macro Particle Stopping. Although this effect can be mitigated by using more particles, this is not always computationally efficient. We show how it can also be mitigated by using high-order particle shapes, and/or by using a particle-splitting method which reduces the charge of only the most energetic electrons.

Download or read book Ion acceleration and extreme light field generation based on ultra short and ultra intense lasers written by Liangliang Ji and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-01-23 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is dedicated to the relativistic (laser intensity above 1018 W/cm2) laser-plasma interactions, which mainly concerns two important aspects: ion acceleration and extreme-light-field (ELF). Based on the ultra-intense and ultra–short CP lasers, this book proposes a new method that significantly improves the efficiency of heavy-ion acceleration, and deals with the critical thickness issues of light pressure acceleration. More importantly, a series of plasma approaches for producing ELFs, such as the relativistic single-cycle laser pulse, the intense broad-spectrum chirped laser pulse and the ultra-intense isolated attosecond (10-18s) pulse are introduced. This book illustrates that plasma not only affords a tremendous accelerating gradient for ion acceleration but also serves as a novel medium for ELF generation, and hence has the potential of plasma-based optics, which have a great advantage on the light intensity due to the absence of device damage threshold.

Download or read book Applications of Laser Plasma Interactions written by Shalom Eliezer and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2008-12-22 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent advances in the development of lasers with more energy, power, and brightness have opened up new possibilities for exciting applications. Applications of Laser-Plasma Interactions reviews the current status of high power laser applications. The book first explores the science and technology behind the ignition and burn of imploded fusion fue

Download or read book Introduction to Laser Plasma Interactions written by Pierre Michel and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-04-18 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of laser-plasma interactions (LPI), based on a graduate course taught by the author. The emphasis is on high-energy-density physics (HEDP) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF), with a comprehensive description of the propagation, absorption, nonlinear effects and parametric instabilities of high energy lasers in plasmas. The recent demonstration of a burning plasma on the verge of nuclear fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California, has marked the beginning of a new era of ICF and fusion research. These new developments make LPI more relevant than ever, and the resulting influx of new scientists necessitates new pedagogical material on the subject. In contrast to the classical textbooks on LPI, this book provides a complete description of all wave-coupling instabilities in unmagnetized plasmas in the kinetic as well as fluid pictures, and includes a comprehensive description of the optical smoothing techniques used on high-power lasers and their impact on laser-plasma instabilities. It summarizes all the key developments from the 1970s to the present day in view of the current state of LPI and ICF research; it provides a derivation of the key LPI metrics and formulas from first principles, and connects the theory to experimental observables. With exercises and plenty of illustrations, this book is ideal as a textbook for a course on laser-plasma interactions or as a supplementary text for graduate introductory plasma physics course. Students and researchers will also find it to be an invaluable reference and self-study resource.

Download or read book Laser Interaction and Related Plasma Phenomena written by Helmut J. Schwarz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 913 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 7th International Workshop in the series LASER INTERACTION AND RELATED PLASMA PHENOMENA continued the high standards established by the earlier meetings in this series. It was organized under the directorship of Heinrich Hora and George H. Miley at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, with Fred Schwirzke as the local organizer. These workshops have presented many "firsts" in laser plasma interactions and especially in laser fusion. Some presentations provided continuity with the past, most represented advancements; however, in some workshops, progress did not appear to be occurring as rapidly as in others. Therefore, it was a special pleasure that in the present workshop when, on October 30, 1985, Chiyoe Yamanaka disclosed a breakthrough in the generation of fusion neutrons with laser fusion targets. The 7th Workshop also continued to represent other new fields of laser-plasma interaction. The progress reported was most pronounced in the fields of X-ray lasers, laser acceleration of particles by electrostatic double layers in plasmas, and a particle beam technique to solve the geometric problem of muon-catalyzed fusion. The development of laser-plasma interactions at medium to high laser intensities may be seen in its whole complexity from a brief review of prior conferences. At the first Workshop in 1969, a comprehensive review of the field was presented by the speakers with the opening address by N.

Download or read book Plasmas at High Temperature and Density written by Heinrich Hora and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-11-09 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "New physics" is an appealing new keyword, not yet devalued by the ravages of inflation. But what has this to do with such an ugly field as plasma physics, steeped in classical physics, mostly outworn, with all its unsolved and ambiguous technological problems and its messy and open ended numerical studies? "New physics" is concerned with quarks, Higgs particles, grand unified theory, super strings, gravitational waves, and the profound basics of cosmology and black holes. It is the field of astonishing quantum effects, demonstrated by the von Klitzing effect and high temperature superconductors. But what can plasma physicists offer, after so many years of expensive and frustrating research to solve the problem of fusion energy? One may suggest that the fascinating research ofchaos with applications to plasma, or the achievements of statistical mechanics applied to plasmas, has something to offer and should be the subject of attention. However, this is not the aim of this book. Complementing the traditional aim of physics, which is to interpret the phenomena of nature by generalizing laws such that exact predictions about new properties and effects can be drawn, this book demonstrates how new physics has been derived over the last 30 years from the state of matter which exists at high temperatures (plasma).

Download or read book The Interaction of High Power Lasers with Plasmas written by Shalom Eliezer and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2002-08-16 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Interaction of High-Power Lasers with Plasmas provides a thorough self-contained discussion of the physical processes occurring in laser-plasma interactions, including a detailed review of the relevant plasma and laser physics. The book analyzes laser absorption and propagation, electron transport, and the relevant plasma waves in detail. It al

Download or read book Investigations of Field Dynamics in Laser Plasmas with Proton Imaging written by Thomas Sokollik and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-01-12 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Laser-driven proton beams are still in their infancy but already have some outstanding attributes compared to those produced in conventional accelerators. One such attribute is the typically low beam emittance. This allows excellent resolution in imaging applications like proton radiography. This thesis describes a novel imaging technique - the proton streak camera - that the author developed and first used to measure both the spatial and temporal evolution of ultra-strong electrical fields in laser-driven plasmas. Such investigations are of paramount importance for the understanding of laser-plasma interactions and, thus, for optimization of laser-driven particle acceleration. In particular, the present work investigated micrometer-sized spherical targets after laser irradiation. The confined geometry of plasmas and fields was found to influence the kinetic energy and spatial distribution of accelerated ions. This could be shown both in experimental radiography images and and in numerical simulations, one of which was selected for the cover page of Physical Review Letters.

Download or read book Laser Plasma Interactions written by Dino A. Jaroszynski and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2009-03-27 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Solid Compendium of Advanced Diagnostic and Simulation ToolsExploring the most exciting and topical areas in this field, Laser-Plasma Interactions focuses on the interaction of intense laser radiation with plasma. After discussing the basic theory of the interaction of intense electromagnetic radiation fields with matter, the book covers three ap

Download or read book A Superintense Laser Plasma Interaction Theory Primer written by Andrea Macchi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-01-24 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The continuous trend towards higher and higher laser intensities has opened the way to new physical regimes and advanced applications of laser-plasma interactions, thus stimulating novel connections with ultrafast optics, astrophysics, particle physics, and biomedical applications. This book is primarily oriented towards students and young researchers who need to acquire rapidly a basic knowledge of this active and rapidly changing research field. To this aim, the presentation is focused on a selection of basic models and inspiring examples, and includes topics which emerged recently such as ion acceleration, "relativistic engineering" and radiation friction. The contents are presented in a self-contained way assuming only a basic knowledge of classical electrodynamics, mechanics and relativistic dynamics at the undergraduate (Bachelor) level, without requiring any previous knowledge of plasma physics. Hence, the book may serve in several ways: as a compact textbook for lecture courses, as a short and accessible introduction for the newcomer, as a quick reference for the experienced researcher, and also as an introduction to some nonlinear mathematical methods through examples of their application to laser-plasma modeling.

Download or read book Ion Acceleration by Laser Plasma Interaction from Cryogenic Micro Jets Oral Presentation written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Processes that occur in extreme conditions, such as in the center of stars and large planets, can be simulated in the laboratory using facilities such as SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). These facilities allow scientists to investigate the properties of matter by observing their interactions with high power lasers. Ion acceleration from laser plasma interaction is gaining greater attention today due to its widespread potential applications, including proton beam cancer therapy and fast ignition for energy production. Typically, ion acceleration is achieved by focusing a high power laser on thin foil targets through a mechanism called Target Normal Sheath Acceleration. Based on research and recent experiments, we hypothesized that a pure liquid cryogenic jet would be an ideal target for this type of interaction, capable of producing the highest proton energies possible with today's laser technologies. Furthermore, it would provide a continuous, pure target, unlike metal foils which are consumed in the interaction and easily contaminated. In an effort to test this hypothesis and investigate new, potentially more efficient mechanisms of ion acceleration, we used the 527 nm split beam, frequency-doubled TITAN laser at JLF. Data from the cryogenic jets was limited due to the flow of current up the jet into the nozzle during the interaction, heating the jet and damaging the orifice. However, we acheived a pure proton beam with an indiciation of a monoenergetic feature. Furthermore, data from gold and carbon wires showed surprising and interesting results. Preliminary analysis of data from two ion emission diagnostics, Thomson parabola spectrometers (TPs) and radio chromic films (RCFs), suggests that shockwave acceleration occurred rather than target normal sheath acceleration, the standard mechanism of ion acceleration. Upon completion of the experiment at TITAN, I researched the possibility of transforming our liquid cryogenic jets into droplet streams. This type of target should solve our problems with the jet as it will prevent the flow of exocurrent into the nozzle. It is also highly effective as it is even more mass-limited than standard cryogenic jets. Furthermore, jets break up spontaneously anyway. If we can control the breakup, we can synchronize the droplet emission with the laser pulses. In order to assist the team prepare for an experiment later this year, I familiarized myself with the physics and theory of droplet formation, calculated values for the required parameters, and ordered the required materials for modification of the jet. Future experiments will test these droplet streams and continue towards the goal of ion acceleration using cryogenic targets.

Download or read book Ion Acceleration by Laser Plasma Interaction from Cryogenic Microjets written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Processes that occur in extreme conditions, such as in the center of stars and large planets, can be simulated in the laboratory using facilities such as SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). These facilities allow scientists to investigate the properties of matter by observing their interactions with high power lasers. Ion acceleration from laser plasma interaction is gaining greater attention today due to its widespread potential applications, including proton beam cancer therapy and fast ignition for energy production. Typically, ion acceleration is achieved by focusing a high power laser on thin foil targets through a mechanism called Target Normal Sheath Acceleration. However, this mechanism is not ideal for creating the high-energy proton beams needed for future applications. Based on research and recent experiments, we hypothesized that a pure liquid cryogenic jet would be an ideal target for exploring new regimes of ion acceleration. Furthermore, it would provide a continuous, pure target, unlike metal foils which are consumed in the interaction and easily contaminated. In an e ort to test this hypothesis, we used the 527 nm split beam, frequency-doubled TITAN laser at JLF. Data from the cryogenic jets was limited due to the ow of current up the jet into the nozzle during the interaction, heating the jet and damaging the ori ce. However, we achieved a pure proton beam with evidence of a monoenergetic feature. Furthermore, data from gold and carbon wires showed surprising and interesting results. Preliminary analysis of data from two ion emission diagnostics, Thomson parabola spectrometers (TPs) and radio chromic lms (RCFs), suggests that shockwave acceleration occurred rather than target normal sheath acceleration, the standard mechanism of ion acceleration. Upon completion of the experiment at TITAN, I researched the possibility of transforming our liquid cryogenic jets into droplet streams. This type of target should solve our problems with the jet as it will prevent the ow of exocurrent into the nozzle. It is also highly e ective as it is even more mass-limited than standard cryogenic jets. Furthermore, jets break up spontaneously anyway. If we can control the breakup, we can synchronize the droplet emission with the laser pulses. In order to assist the team prepare for an experiment later this year, I familiarized myself with the physics and theory of droplet formation, calculated values for the required parameters, and ordered the required materials for modi cation of the jet. Future experiments will test these droplet streams and continue towards the goal of ion acceleration using cryogenic targets.