The impact of contaminants on laser-driven ion acceleration is investigated using particle-in-cell simulations. The conventional ion acceleration mechanism, target normal sheath acceleration, has been revisited for targets with proton-rich contaminants in the form of water vapor. The targets considered have a deuterated plastic layer on the rear surface of an aluminum target, and the influence of the contaminant layer on the deuteron acceleration is investigated. In the early stage of ion acceleration, the space-charge electrostatic field on the rear target surface accelerates only the outermost, proton-rich layer of ions, which inhibits the deuteron acceleration by shielding it from the field. When the proton layer is depleted, the deuterons become exposed to the space-charge field and are promptly accelerated. This scenario was tested with a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation model by varying the contaminant layer thickness and laser fluence (laser energy per unit area). For laser fluences , the contamination layer over the surface inhibits the deuteron acceleration from the rear surface, while in the opposite case of laser fluences deuterons and heavier ions can be successfully accelerated with conversion efficiency of laser energy into ions of more than 1%. Experimental data from a thick aluminum foil coated with a deuterated plastic layer on the back surface are suggestive of the detrimental role of contaminants on deuteron acceleration.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2010
Research Article|
October 29 2010
The impact of contaminants on laser-driven light ion acceleration
G. M. Petrov;
G. M. Petrov
a)
1Plasma Physics Division,
Naval Research Laboratory
, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
L. Willingale;
L. Willingale
2Center for Ultrafast Optical Science,
University of Michigan
, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Davis;
J. Davis
1Plasma Physics Division,
Naval Research Laboratory
, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Tz. Petrova;
Tz. Petrova
1Plasma Physics Division,
Naval Research Laboratory
, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
A. Maksimchuk;
A. Maksimchuk
2Center for Ultrafast Optical Science,
University of Michigan
, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
K. Krushelnick
K. Krushelnick
2Center for Ultrafast Optical Science,
University of Michigan
, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
a)
Electronic mail: [email protected].
Phys. Plasmas 17, 103111 (2010)
Article history
Received:
June 02 2010
Accepted:
September 15 2010
Citation
G. M. Petrov, L. Willingale, J. Davis, Tz. Petrova, A. Maksimchuk, K. Krushelnick; The impact of contaminants on laser-driven light ion acceleration. Phys. Plasmas 1 October 2010; 17 (10): 103111. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3497002
Download citation file:
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Citing articles via
Progress toward fusion energy breakeven and gain as measured against the Lawson criterion
Samuel E. Wurzel, Scott C. Hsu
FreeGSNKE: A Python-based dynamic free-boundary toroidal plasma equilibrium solver
N. C. Amorisco, A. Agnello, et al.
Related Content
Laser-ion acceleration through controlled surface contamination
Phys. Plasmas (April 2011)
Laser-ion acceleration using mixed compositions: Tailoring the target for each species
Phys. Plasmas (December 2019)
Influence of prepulse plasma formation on neutron production from the laser–target interaction
Phys. Plasmas (August 2008)
Dominant deuteron acceleration with a high-intensity laser for isotope production and neutron generation
Appl. Phys. Lett. (May 2013)
Selective deuteron production using target normal sheath acceleration
Phys. Plasmas (March 2012)