Coulomb-Boltzmann-Shifted distribution in laser-generated plasmas from 1010 up to 1019 W/cm2 intensities

Abstract

The charge production from laser-generated plasmas generates not isotropically ion acceleration in vacuum and with mean kinetic energy proportional to the ion charge state. The ion velocity depends on many factors of which the most important are the plasma temperature, the adiabatic gas expansion in vacuum and the Coulomb acceleration. The ion energy distributions of the emitted ions from the plasma can be well explained by the Coulomb–Boltzmann-Shifted function, with a cut-off limitation at high energy for a wide range of laser intensities. It can be applied for intensities of 1010 W/cm2, when plasma is produced only in the backward direction from thick targets (backward plasma acceleration regime), as well as at intensities of the order of 1019 W/cm2, when plasma is produced in the forward direction from thin targets in target-normal sheath acceleration regime. It loses of validity in radiation pressure acceleration regime, at which ions are emitted near mono-energetically.