title: Proton shock acceleration in laser-plasma interactions.
abstract: The formation of strong, high Mach number (2-3), electrostatic shocks by laser pulses incident on overdense plasma slabs is observed in one- and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, for a wide range of intensities, pulse durations, target thicknesses, and densities. The shocks propagate undisturbed across the plasma, accelerating the ions (protons). For a dimensionless field strength parameter a(0)=16 (Ilambda(2) approximately 3 x 10(20) W cm(-2) microm(2), where I is the intensity and lambda the wavelength), and target thicknesses of a few microns, the shock is responsible for the highest energy protons. A plateau in the ion spectrum provides a direct signature for shock acceleration.
authors.affiliation: GoLP/Centro de Física dos Plasmas, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. luis.silva@ist.utl.pt
authors.forename: Luís O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Ricardo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Chuang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Frank S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Tsung
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Mori