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Persistent URL http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/32576534
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Record Id 32576534
Title Finite Spot Effects on Radiation Pressure Acceleration from Intense High-Contrast Laser Interactions with Thin Targets
Contributors
Abstract Short pulse laser interactions at intensities of 2×1021  W cm−2 with ultrahigh contrast (10−15) on submicrometer silicon nitride foils were studied experimentally by using linear and circular polarizations at normal incidence. It was observed that, as the target decreases in thickness, electron heating by the laser begins to occur for circular polarization leading to target normal sheath acceleration of contaminant ions, while at thicker targets no acceleration or electron heating is observed. For linear polarization, all targets showed exponential energy spreads with similar electron temperatures. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the heating is due to the rapid deformation of the target that occurs early in the interaction. These experiments demonstrate that finite spot size effects can severely restrict the regime suitable for radiation pressure acceleration.
Organisation CI
Keywords
Funding Information USA NSF; ONR
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Language English (EN)
Type Details URI(s) Local file(s) Year
Journal Article Phys Rev Lett 108, no. 17 (2012): 175005. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.175005 2012