Proton beams from intense laser-solid interaction: Effects of the target materials

Y. X. Geng; D. Wu; W. Yu; Z. M. Sheng; S. Fritzsche; Q. Liao; M. J. Wu; X. H. Xu; D. Y. Li; W. J. Ma; H. Y. Lu; Y. Y. Zhao; X. T. He; J. E. Chen; C. Lin; X. Q. Yan

doi:10.1063/5.0014854

Volume 5 Issue 6

Nov. 2020

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Article Navigation > Matter and Radiation at Extremes > 2020 > 5(6): 064402

Y. X. Geng, D. Wu, W. Yu, Z. M. Sheng, S. Fritzsche, Q. Liao, M. J. Wu, X. H. Xu, D. Y. Li, W. J. Ma, H. Y. Lu, Y. Y. Zhao, X. T. He, J. E. Chen, C. Lin, X. Q. Yan. Proton beams from intense laser-solid interaction: Effects of the target materials[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2020, 5(6): 064402. doi: 10.1063/5.0014854

Citation:

Y. X. Geng, D. Wu, W. Yu, Z. M. Sheng, S. Fritzsche, Q. Liao, M. J. Wu, X. H. Xu, D. Y. Li, W. J. Ma, H. Y. Lu, Y. Y. Zhao, X. T. He, J. E. Chen, C. Lin, X. Q. Yan. Proton beams from intense laser-solid interaction: Effects of the target materials[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2020, 5(6): 064402. doi: 10.1063/5.0014854

Citation:

Y. X. Geng, D. Wu, W. Yu, Z. M. Sheng, S. Fritzsche, Q. Liao, M. J. Wu, X. H. Xu, D. Y. Li, W. J. Ma, H. Y. Lu, Y. Y. Zhao, X. T. He, J. E. Chen, C. Lin, X. Q. Yan. Proton beams from intense laser-solid interaction: Effects of the target materials[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2020, 5(6): 064402. doi: 10.1063/5.0014854

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Proton beams from intense laser-solid interaction: Effects of the target materials

doi: 10.1063/5.0014854

Y. X. Geng¹,
D. Wu^{2
,
,
,},
W. Yu³,
Z. M. Sheng^{4, 5},
S. Fritzsche^6
,,
Q. Liao¹,
M. J. Wu¹,
X. H. Xu^1
,,
D. Y. Li¹,
W. J. Ma^1
,,
H. Y. Lu^1
,,
Y. Y. Zhao¹,
X. T. He¹,
J. E. Chen^1
,,
C. Lin^{1
,
,},
X. Q. Yan^{1
,
,
,}

1.
Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
2.
Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China
3.
State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, 201800 Shanghai, China
4.
SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
5.
Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
6.
Helmholtz Institut-Jena and Friedrich-Schiller-University, D-07743 Jena, Germany

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: dwu.phys@zju.edu.cn; lc0812@pku.edu.cn; and xueqingyan@pku.edu.cn; a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: dwu.phys@zju.edu.cn; lc0812@pku.edu.cn; and xueqingyan@pku.edu.cn; a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: dwu.phys@zju.edu.cn; lc0812@pku.edu.cn; and xueqingyan@pku.edu.cn
Received Date: 2020-05-24
Accepted Date: 2020-09-08

Available Online: 2020-11-01

Publish Date: 2020-11-15

Abstract

Abstract

We report systematic studies of laser-driven proton beams produced with micrometer-thick solid targets made of aluminum and plastic, respectively. Distinct effects of the target materials are found on the total charge, cutoff energy, and beam spot of protons in the experiments, and these are described well by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations incorporating intrinsic material properties. It is found that with a laser intensity of 8 × 10¹⁹ W/cm², target normal sheath acceleration is the dominant mechanism for both types of target. For a plastic target, the higher charge and cutoff energy of the protons are due to the greater energy coupling efficiencies from the intense laser beams, and the larger divergence angle of the protons is due to the deflection of hot electrons during transport in the targets. We also find that the energy loss of hot electrons in targets of different thickness has a significant effect on the proton cutoff energy. The consistent results obtained here further narrow the gap between simulations and experiments.

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References(43)

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