Proton Accerelation
Utilizing plasma processes to generate high energy protons
Proton Acceleration
Image: Marcel Menke
Proton and ion beams are highly desired for their applications in medicine and experimental physics. Unfortunately, such beams seldom reach the charge or energies of electron beams due to the particles' mass. Our group explores numerous techniques to achieve high charge, MeV proton and ion beams. Such techniques include TNSA acceleration in foil targets, where the charge separation produced by a laser in a target causes high energy electrons to pull ion bunches through the rear of a plasmized, thin solid. We seek to push the limits of energy and charge in proton bunches by exploring higher energy interactions and unique target geometries.
Publications:
- G. A. Becker, S. Tietze, S. Keppler, J. Reisloehner et al., "Ring-like spatial distribution of laser accelerated protons in the ultra-high-contrast TNSA-regime"External link, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 60 (5), 055010, (2018)
- J. H. Bin, M. Yeung, Z. Gong, H. Y. Wang et al., "Enhanced Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration by Superponderomotive Electrons Generated from Near-Critical-Density Plasma"External link, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120 (7), 074801, (2018)
- C. Scullion, D. Doria, L. Romagnani, A. Sgattoni et al., "Polarization Dependence of Bulk Ion Acceleration from Ultrathin Foils Irradiated by High-Intensity Ultrashort Laser Pulses"External link, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119 (5), 054801, (2017)
- L. Senje, M. Coughlan, D. Jung, M. Taylor et al., "Experimental investigation of picosecond dynamics following interactions between laser accelerated protons and water"External link, Appl. Phys. Lett. 110 (10), 104102, (2017)
- C. Scullion, D. Doria, L. Romagnani, H. Ahmed et al., "Angularly resolved characterization of ion beams from laser-ultrathin foil interactions"External link, J. Instrum. 11, C09020, (2016)
