title: Broad energy spectrum of laser-accelerated protons for spallation-related physics.
abstract: A beam of MeV protons, accelerated by ultraintense laser-pulse interactions with a thin target foil, is used to investigate nuclear reactions of interest for spallation physics. The laser-generated proton beam is shown (protons were measured) to have a broad energy distribution, which closely resembles the expected energy spectrum of evaporative protons (below 50 MeV) produced in GeV-proton-induced spallation reactions. The protons are used to quantify the distribution of residual radioisotopes produced in a representative spallation target (Pb), and the results are compared with calculated predictions based on spectra modeled with nuclear Monte Carlo codes. Laser-plasma particle accelerators are shown to provide data relevant to the design and development of accelerator driven systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom. p.mckenna@phys.strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: K W D
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ledingham
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authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
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authors.lastname: Robson
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authors.lastname: McCanny
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authors.lastname: Galy
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authors.lastname: Magill
authors.forename: R J
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authors.lastname: Clarke
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authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Norreys
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authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Singhal
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authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krushelnick
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wei