Ion acceleration by collisionless shocks in high-intensity-laser-underdense-plasma interaction

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 93; no. 15; pp. 155003.1 - 155003.4
• Main Authors: WEI, M. S, MANGLES, S. P. D, CLARKE, R. J, HERNANDEZ-GOMEZ, C, NEELY, D, MORI, W, TZOUFRAS, M, KRUSHELNICK, K, NAJMUDIN, Z, WALTON, B, GOPAL, A, TATARAKIS, M, DANGOR, A. E, CLARK, E. L, EVANS, R. G, FRITZLER, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ridge, NY American Physical Society 08-10-2004
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Laser-plasma interactions; Optics; Particle-in-cell method; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma simulation; High-power lasers; Particle in cell method; Collisionless plasma; Digital simulation; Theoretical study; Helium ions; Particle acceleration; Experimental study; Plasma density; Underdense plasma; Plasma diagnostics; Ultrashort pulse; Laser pulse; Laser plasma interaction
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.93.155003

Ion acceleration by the interaction of an ultraintense short-pulse laser with an underdense-plasma has been studied at intensities up to 3 x 10(20) W/cm(2). Helium ions having a maximum energy of 13.2+/-1.0 MeV were measured at an angle of 100 degrees from the laser propagation direction. The maximum ion energy scaled with plasma density as n(0.70+/-0.05)(e). Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations suggest that multiple collisionless shocks are formed at high density. The interaction of shocks is responsible for the observed plateau structure in the ion spectrum and leads to an enhanced ion acceleration beyond that possible by the ponderomotive potential of the laser alone.