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Effect of pre-plasma on the ion acceleration by intense ultra-short laser pulses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

Parvin Varmazyar ,
Saeed Mirzanejhad  and
Taghi Mohsenpour
Parvin Varmazyar*
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
Saeed Mirzanejhad
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
Taghi Mohsenpour
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
*
Author for correspondence: Parvin Varmazyar, Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran E-mail: parvinvarmazyar@gmail.com, P.varmazyar@stu.umz.ac.ir
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Abstract

In the interaction of short-laser pulses with a solid density target, pre-plasma can play a major role in ion acceleration processes. So far, complete analysis of pre-plasma effect on the ion acceleration by ultra-short laser pulses in the radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) regime has been unknown. Then the effect of pre-plasma on the ion acceleration efficiency is analyzed by numerical results of the particle-in-cell simulation in the RPA regime. It is shown that, for long-laser pulses (τp > 50 fs), the presence of pre-plasma makes a destructive effect on ion acceleration while it may have a contributing effect for short-laser pulses (τp < 50 fs). Therefore, the 35 fs (20 fs) laser pulse can accelerate ions up to 40 MeV (55 eV), which is almost two (three) times larger in energy rather than use of a 100 fs pulse with the same pre-plasma scale length.

Keywords

Laser foil interactionPIC simulationpre-plasma
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 2018 , pp. 226 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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