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AKBP: Arbeitskreis Beschleunigerphysik

AKBP 6: New Accelerator Concepts - Models and Experiments

AKBP 6.3: Talk

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 11:30–11:45, E 020

Influence of laser intensity ramps on proton acceleration of solid density targets in PIC simulations — •Franziska Paschke-Bruehl, Thomas Kluge, and Ilja Göthel — HZDR (Helmholtz-Zenrum Dresden-Rossendorf), Dresden, Germany

We present a study that investigates the influence of an exponential laser intensity ramp (pre main pulse) on the proton acceleration from an ultra-thin Hydrogen target at plastic-density in 1D PIC (particle in cell) simulations. We find that laser ramp constellations with long scale lengths, i.e. shallow slope for energy deposition, and less energy in the ramp, about 2-8 % of total energy in pulse, are optimal for high proton energies due to a shock appearing in the expanding plasma on the rear side of the target. Protons of the pre plasma experience reflection from the shock and additional acceleration when traveling down the density gradient, these particles gain significant velocity and overtake the expanding TNSA protons.

By varying parameters such as a0, target thickness and density, we tested the robustness of the mentioned dynamics and found the same trends for a number of setups.

Keywords: ultra-high intensity, ultra-short laser pulse; proton acceleration; CSA (collisionless shock acceleration); PIC (particle-in-cell) simulations; laser intensity ramp