Ion acceleration in a solitary wave by an intense picosecond laser pulse.
Acceleration of ions in a solitary wave produced by shock-wave decay in a plasma slab irradiated by an intense picosecond laser pulse is studied via particle-in-cell simulation. Instead of exponential distribution as in known mechanisms of ion acceleration from the target surface, these ions accelerated forwardly form a bunch with relatively low energy spread. The bunch is shown to be a solitary wave moving over expanding plasma; its velocity can exceed the maximal velocity of ions accelerated forward from the rear side of the target.
Zhidkov
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A
Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, University of Tokyo, 22-2 Shirane-shirakata, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1188 Japan.
Uesaka
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M
Sasaki
A
A
Daido
H
H