TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of front surface plasma expansion on proton acceleration in ultraintense laser irradiation of foil targets
AU - McKenna, P.
AU - Carroll, D.C.
AU - Lundh, O.
AU - Nurnberg, F.
AU - Markey, Keith
AU - Bandyopadhyay, S.
AU - Batani, D.
AU - Evans, R.G.
AU - Jafer, R.
AU - Kar, Satyabrata
AU - Neely, D.
AU - Pepler, D.
AU - Quinn, M.N.
AU - Redaelli, R.
AU - Roth, M.
AU - Wahlstrom, C.G.
AU - Yuan, X.H.
AU - Zepf, Matthew
PY - 2008/12
Y1 - 2008/12
N2 - The properties of beams of high energy protons accelerated during ultraintense, picosecond laser-irradiation of thin foil targets are investigated as a function of preplasma expansion at the target front surface. Significant enhancement in the maximum proton energy and laser-to-proton energy conversion efficiency is observed at optimum preplasma density gradients due, to self-focusing Of the incident laser pulse. For very long preplasma expansion, the propagating laser pulse is observed to filament, resulting in highly uniform proton beams, but with reduced flux and maximum energy.
AB - The properties of beams of high energy protons accelerated during ultraintense, picosecond laser-irradiation of thin foil targets are investigated as a function of preplasma expansion at the target front surface. Significant enhancement in the maximum proton energy and laser-to-proton energy conversion efficiency is observed at optimum preplasma density gradients due, to self-focusing Of the incident laser pulse. For very long preplasma expansion, the propagating laser pulse is observed to filament, resulting in highly uniform proton beams, but with reduced flux and maximum energy.
U2 - 10.1017/S0263034608000657
DO - 10.1017/S0263034608000657
M3 - Article
VL - 26
SP - 591
EP - 596
JO - Laser And Particle Beams
JF - Laser And Particle Beams
IS - 4
ER -