Hollow microspheres as targets for staged laser-driven proton acceleration

Burza, M and Gonoskov, A and Genoud, G and Persson, A and Svensson, K and Quinn, M and McKenna, P and Marklund, M and Wahlström, C-G (2011) Hollow microspheres as targets for staged laser-driven proton acceleration. New Journal of Physics, 13. ISSN 1367-2630

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    Abstract

    A coated hollow core microsphere is introduced as a novel target in ultra-intense laser-matter interaction experiments. In particular, it facilitates staged laser-driven proton acceleration by combining conventional target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), power recycling of hot laterally spreading electrons and staging in a very simple and cheap target geometry. During TNSA of protons from one area of the sphere surface, laterally spreading hot electrons form a charge wave. Due to the spherical geometry, this wave refocuses on the opposite side of the sphere, where an opening has been laser micromachined. This leads to a strong transient charge separation field being set up there, which can post-accelerate those TNSA protons passing through the hole at the right time. Experimentally, the feasibility of using such targets is demonstrated. A redistribution is encountered in the experimental proton energy spectra, as predicted by particle-in-cell simulations and attributed to transient fields set up by oscillating currents on the sphere surface.

    Author(s):Burza, M, Gonoskov, A, Genoud, G, Persson, A, Svensson, K, Quinn, M, McKenna, P ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8061-7091, Marklund, M and Wahlström, C-G
    Item type:Article
    ID code:31306
    Keywords:thin foils, intensity, generation, contrast, pulses, beams, ions, Physics, Physics and Astronomy(all)
    Subjects:Science > Physics
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:20 May 2011 13:43
    Last modified:26 Jul 2019 02:18
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/31306
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