Highly efficient generation of ultraintense high-energy ion beams using laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 101; no. 8; p. 84102
• Main Authors: Badziak, J., Jabłoński, S., Rączka, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 20-08-2012
• Subjects: ACCELERATION; CARBON; CARBON IONS; CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Direct power generation; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY CONVERSION; Energy conversion efficiency; Holes; ION BEAMS; ION SOURCES; IRRADIATION; LASER RADIATION; Lasers; LIGHT TRANSMISSION; MEV RANGE 100-1000; Particle in cell technique; PLASMA GUNS; PLASMA PRESSURE; PLASMA SIMULATION; PULSES; RADIATION PRESSURE; VISIBLE RADIATION
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4746287

Results of particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of fast ion generation in the recently proposed laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) scheme in which a picosecond circularly polarized laser pulse of intensity similar to 1021 W/cm2 irradiates a carbon target placed in a cavity are presented. It is shown that due to circulation of the laser pulse in the cavity, the laser-ions energy conversion efficiency in the LICPA scheme is more than twice as high as that for the conventional (without a cavity) radiation pressure acceleration scheme and a quasi-monoenergetic carbon ion beam of the mean ion energy similar to 0.5 GeV and the energy fluence similar to 0.5 GJ/cm2 is produced with the efficiency similar to 40%. The results of PIC simulations are found to be in fairly good agreement with the predictions of the generalized light-sail model.