Investigation of relativistic intensity laser generated hot electron dynamics via copper Kα imaging and proton acceleration

Simultaneous experimental measurements of copper Kα imaging and the maximum target normal sheath acceleration proton energies from the rear target surface are compared for various target thicknesses. For the T-cubed laser (≈4 J, 400 fs) at an intensity of ≈2 × 1019 W cm−2, the hot electron divergence is determined to be θHW HM≈22° using a Kα imaging diagnostic. The maximum proton energies are measured to follow the expected reduction with increasing target thickness. Numerical modeling produces copper Kα trends for both signal level and electron beam divergence that are in good agreement with the experiment. A geometric model describing the electron beam divergence reproduces the maximum proton energy trends observed from the experiment and the fast electron density and the peak electric field observed in the numerical modeling.

[1]  D. Neely,et al.  Injection and transport properties of fast electrons in ultraintense laser-solid interactions , 2013 .

[2]  Y. Ping,et al.  Coupling of laser energy into hot-electrons in high-contrast relativistic laser-plasma interactions , 2013 .

[3]  R. P. Drake,et al.  Hybrid Vlasov–Fokker–Planck–Maxwell simulations of fast electron transport and the time dependance of K-shell excitation in a mid-Z metallic target , 2013 .

[4]  R. Stephens,et al.  Effect of target material on fast-electron transport and resistive collimation. , 2013, Physical review letters.

[5]  R. B. Stephens,et al.  Hot electron temperature and coupling efficiency scaling with prepulse for cone-guided fast ignition. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[6]  C Stoeckl,et al.  Time-resolved measurements of hot-electron equilibration dynamics in high-intensity laser interactions with thin-foil solid targets. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[7]  R. Stephens,et al.  Using time-integrated Kα images to study refluxing and the extent of pre-plasmas in intense laser-plasma experiment , 2011 .

[8]  J. Fuchs,et al.  Dynamic control over mega-ampere electron currents in metals using ionization-driven resistive magnetic fields. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[9]  R. Freeman,et al.  How well do time-integrated Kα images represent hot electron spatial distributions? , 2011 .

[10]  M. Desjarlais,et al.  Effect of lattice structure on energetic electron transport in solids irradiated by ultraintense laser pulses. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[11]  T. C. Sangster,et al.  Target-heating effects on the Kα1,2-emission spectrum from solid targets heated by laser-generated hot electrons , 2011 .

[12]  D. Neely,et al.  Refluxing of fast electrons in solid targets irradiated by intense, picosecond laser pulses , 2011 .

[13]  T. C. Sangster,et al.  Scaling hot-electron generation to high-power, kilojoule-class laser-solid interactions. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[14]  Erik Lefebvre,et al.  Single-shot divergence measurements of a laser-generated relativistic electron beam , 2010 .

[15]  K. Tanaka,et al.  Transport study of intense-laser-produced fast electrons in solid targets with a preplasma created by a long pulse laser , 2010 .

[16]  R R Freeman,et al.  Limitation on prepulse level for cone-guided fast-ignition inertial confinement fusion. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[17]  Y. Ping,et al.  Laser-accelerated proton conversion efficiency thickness scaling , 2009 .

[18]  Mark Sherlock,et al.  Universal scaling of the electron distribution function in one-dimensional simulations of relativistic laser-plasma interactions , 2009 .

[19]  T. C. Sangster,et al.  High-current, relativistic electron-beam transport in metals and the role of magnetic collimation. , 2009, Physical review letters.

[20]  Paul A. Jaanimagi,et al.  Transport of energy by ultraintense laser-generated electrons in nail-wire targets , 2008 .

[21]  R R Freeman,et al.  Effect of laser intensity on fast-electron-beam divergence in solid-density plasmas. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[22]  Y. Iwashita,et al.  Laser prepulse dependency of proton-energy distributions in ultraintense laser-foil interactions with an online time-of-flight technique , 2007 .

[23]  R R Freeman,et al.  Measurements of energy transport patterns in solid density laser plasma interactions at intensities of 5x10(20) W cm-2. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[24]  Peter A. Norreys,et al.  Temperature sensitivity of Cu Kα imaging efficiency using a spherical Bragg reflecting crystal , 2007 .

[25]  S. Ter-Avetisyan,et al.  Analytical model for ion acceleration by high-intensity laser pulses. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[26]  P. Audebert,et al.  Laser-driven proton scaling laws and new paths towards energy increase , 2006 .

[27]  J. Meyer-ter-Vehn,et al.  Influence of the laser prepulse on proton acceleration in thin-foil experiments. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[28]  C Andersen,et al.  K(alpha) fluorescence measurement of relativistic electron transport in the context of fast ignition. , 2004, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[29]  T E Cowan,et al.  Isochoric heating of solid-density matter with an ultrafast proton beam. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[30]  A. Bell,et al.  Resistive collimation of electron beams in laser-produced plasmas. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[31]  P. Mora,et al.  Plasma expansion into a vacuum. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[32]  John F. Seely,et al.  4.5- and 8-keV emission and absorption x-ray imaging using spherically bent quartz 203 and 211 crystals (invited) , 2003 .

[33]  D. H. Campbell,et al.  Proton imaging detection of transient electromagnetic fields in laser-plasma interactions (invited) , 2003 .

[34]  A. V. Kuznetsov,et al.  Oncological hadrontherapy with laser ion accelerators , 2002 .

[35]  L. Gremillet,et al.  Fast electron transport in ultraintense laser pulse interaction with solid targets by rear-side self-radiation diagnostics. , 2002, Physical review letters.

[36]  M. Key,et al.  Experimental measurements of deep directional columnar heating by laser-generated relativistic electrons at near-solid density. , 2001, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[37]  L. C. Tribedi,et al.  Role of surface roughness in hard-x-ray emission from femtosecond-laser-produced copper plasmas , 2002 .

[38]  A. E. Dangor,et al.  Laser generation of proton beams for the production of short-lived positron emitting radioisotopes , 2001 .

[39]  N. Miyanaga,et al.  Fast heating of ultrahigh-density plasma as a step towards laser fusion ignition , 2001, Nature.

[40]  M. D. Perry,et al.  Fast ignition by intense laser-accelerated proton beams. , 2001, Physical review letters.

[41]  T. C. Sangster,et al.  Intense high-energy proton beams from Petawatt-laser irradiation of solids. , 2000, Physical review letters.

[42]  Gu,et al.  Forward ion acceleration in thin films driven by a high-intensity laser , 2000, Physical review letters.

[43]  Michael D. Perry,et al.  Electron, photon, and ion beams from the relativistic interaction of Petawatt laser pulses with solid targets , 2000 .

[44]  Michael D. Perry,et al.  The investigation of high intensity laser driven micro neutron sources for fusion materials research at high fluence , 2000 .

[45]  Malcolm G. Haines,et al.  SHORT-PULSE HIGH-INTENSITY LASER-GENERATED FAST ELECTRON TRANSPORT INTO THICK SOLID TARGETS , 1997 .

[46]  Michael D. Perry,et al.  Ignition and high gain with ultrapowerful lasers , 1994 .

[47]  Tabak,et al.  Absorption of ultra-intense laser pulses. , 1992, Physical review letters.

[48]  Brunel.  Not-so-resonant, resonant absorption. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[49]  W. Kruer,et al.  J×B heating by very intense laser light , 1985 .