Abstract
Synchronized proton acceleration by ultraintense slow light (SASL) in low-density targets has been studied in application to fabricated carbon nanotube films. Proton acceleration from low-density plasma films irradiated by a linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse of ultrarelativistic intensity was considered as result of both target surface natural contamination by hydrocarbons and artificial volumetric doping of low-density carbon nanotube films. The 3D particle-in-cell simulations confirm the SASL concept [A. V. Brantov et al., Synchronized Ion Acceleration by Ultraintense Slow Light, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 085004 (2016)] for proton acceleration by a femtosecond petawatt-class laser pulse from realistic low-density targets with a hydrogen impurity, quantify the characteristics of the accelerated protons, and demonstrate a significant increase of their energy compared with the proton energy generated from contaminated ultrathin solid dense foils.
Highlights
Laser-driven proton acceleration is a topic of extraordinary interest for fundamental research and possible applications in nuclear physics [1], laboratory astrophysics [2], inertial confinement fusion [3], proton radiography [4], nuclear medicine and biology [5], and extreme states of matter [6]
Proton acceleration from low-density plasma films irradiated by a linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse of ultrarelativistic intensity was considered as result of both target surface natural contamination by hydrocarbons and artificial volumetric doping of low-density carbon nanotube films
Modern techniques for producing films of assembled single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), including hydrogen doping, with desirable mass densities and thicknesses open ways to implement them for lasertriggered ion generation
Summary
Laser-driven proton acceleration is a topic of extraordinary interest for fundamental research and possible applications in nuclear physics [1], laboratory astrophysics [2], inertial confinement fusion [3], proton radiography [4], nuclear medicine and biology [5], and extreme states of matter [6] These issues motivated a worldwide search for different ion acceleration mechanisms [7] with the aim to maximize both the yield and the energy of the protons. The key points of this acceleration mechanism are to stop the laser pulse at the front of the target and accelerate the infiltrating intense part of the pulse inside the plasma at the same rate as the proton energy increase in the ponderomotive potential to achieve synchronized acceleration by slow light (SASL) In this concept, the linearly polarized laser pulse propagates and increases its group velocity as a result of increasing plasma transparency as the ponderomotively driven electron spike on the down-going pulse ramp disappears during pulse propagation. Nanostructured targets are discussed as a way of increasing the efficiency of lasertarget coupling and proton acceleration [16,17]
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