Energetic protons from a few-micron metallic foil evaporated by an intense laser pulse.
With detailed experimental studies and hydrodynamics and particle-in-cell simulations we investigate the role of the prepulse in laser proton acceleration. The prepulse or pedestal (amplified spontaneous emission) can completely evaporate the irradiated region of a sufficiently thin foil; therefore, the main part of the laser pulse interacts with an underdense plasma. The multiparametric particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the main pulse generates the quasistatic magnetic field, which in its turn produces the long-lived charge separation electrostatic field, accelerating the ions.
Matsukado
K
K
National Institute of Radiological Science, Japan.
Esirkepov
T
T
Kinoshita
K
K
Daido
H
H
Utsumi
T
T
Li
Z
Z
Fukumi
A
A
Hayashi
Y
Y
Orimo
S
S
Nishiuchi
M
M
Bulanov
S V
SV
Tajima
T
T
Noda
A
A
Iwashita
Y
Y
Shirai
T
T
Takeuchi
T
T
Nakamura
S
S
Yamazaki
A
A
Ikegami
M
M
Mihara
T
T
Morita
A
A
Uesaka
M
M
Yoshii
K
K
Watanabe
T
T
Hosokai
T
T
Zhidkov
A
A
Ogata
A
A
Wada
Y
Y
Kubota
T
T