TY - JOUR

T1 - Features of the generation of fast particles from microstructured targets irradiated by high intensity, picosecond laser pulses

AU - Sedov, M. V.

AU - Faenov, A. Ya

AU - Andreev, A. A.

AU - Skobelev, I. Yu

AU - Ryazantsev, S. N.

AU - Pikuz, T. A.

AU - Durey, P.

AU - Doehl, L.

AU - Farley, D.

AU - Baird, C. D.

AU - Lancaster, K. L.

AU - Murphy, C. D.

AU - Booth, N.

AU - Spindloe, C.

AU - Platonov, K. Yu

AU - McKenna, P.

AU - Kodama, R.

AU - Woolsey, N.

AU - Pikuz, S. A.

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - The use of targets with surface structures for laser-driven particle acceleration has potential to significantly boost the particle and radiation energies because of enhanced laser absorption. We investigate, via experiment and particle-in-cell simulations, the impact of micron-scale surface-structured targets on the spectrum of electrons and protons accelerated by a picosecond laser pulse at relativistic intensity. Our results show that, compared with flat-surfaced targets, structures on this scale give rise to a significant enhancement in particle and radiation emission over a wide range of laser-target interaction parameters. This is due to the longer plasma scale length when using micro-structures on the target front surface. We do not observe an increase in the proton cutoff energy with our microstructured targets, and this is due to the large volume of the relief.

AB - The use of targets with surface structures for laser-driven particle acceleration has potential to significantly boost the particle and radiation energies because of enhanced laser absorption. We investigate, via experiment and particle-in-cell simulations, the impact of micron-scale surface-structured targets on the spectrum of electrons and protons accelerated by a picosecond laser pulse at relativistic intensity. Our results show that, compared with flat-surfaced targets, structures on this scale give rise to a significant enhancement in particle and radiation emission over a wide range of laser-target interaction parameters. This is due to the longer plasma scale length when using micro-structures on the target front surface. We do not observe an increase in the proton cutoff energy with our microstructured targets, and this is due to the large volume of the relief.

KW - Laser-plasma interaction

KW - plasma line emission

KW - structured target

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064909721&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0263034619000351

DO - 10.1017/S0263034619000351

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85064909721

VL - 37

SP - 176

EP - 183

JO - Laser and Particle Beams

JF - Laser and Particle Beams

SN - 0263-0346

IS - 2

ER -