title: Radiochromic film imaging spectroscopy of laser-accelerated proton beams.
abstract: This article reports on an experimental method to fully reconstruct laser-accelerated proton beam parameters called radiochromic film imaging spectroscopy (RIS). RIS allows for the characterization of proton beams concerning real and virtual source size, envelope- and microdivergence, normalized transverse emittance, phase space, and proton spectrum. This technique requires particular targets and a high resolution proton detector. Therefore thin gold foils with a microgrooved rear side were manufactured and characterized. Calibrated GafChromic radiochromic film (RCF) types MD-55, HS, and HD-810 in stack configuration were used as spatial and energy resolved film detectors. The principle of the RCF imaging spectroscopy was demonstrated at four different laser systems. This can be a method to characterize a laser system with respect to its proton-acceleration capability. In addition, an algorithm to calculate the spatial and energy resolved proton distribution has been developed and tested to get a better idea of laser-accelerated proton beams and their energy deposition with respect to further applications.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany. f.nuernberg@gsi.de
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authors.lastname: Nürnberg
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authors.lastname: Brambrink
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authors.lastname: McKenna
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authors.lastname: Neely
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authors.lastname: Schreiber
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authors.lastname: Roth