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Plasma scale length effects on protons generated in ultra-intense laser–plasmas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2016

O. Culfa*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Karamanoglu MehmetBey University, Karaman, Turkey Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics & Nuclear Engineering, IFIN-HH, ELI NP, Magurele, Romania Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
G.J. Tallents
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
M.E. Korkmaz
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Karamanoglu MehmetBey University, Karaman, Turkey
A.K. Rossall
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
E. Wagenaars
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
C.P. Ridgers
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
C.D. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
N. Booth
Affiliation:
CLF, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
D.C. Carroll
Affiliation:
CLF, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
L.A. Wilson
Affiliation:
CLF, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
K.L. Lancaster
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK CLF, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
N.C. Woolsey
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, The University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: O. Culfa, Department of Physics, Karamanoglu MehmetBey University, Karaman, Turkey. E-mail: ozgurculfa@kmu.edu.tr

Abstract

The energy spectra of protons generated by ultra-intense (1020 W cm−2) laser interactions with a preformed plasma of scale length measured by shadowgraphy are presented. The effects of the preformed plasma on the proton beam temperature and the number of protons are evaluated. Two-dimensional EPOCH particle-in-cell code simulations of the proton spectra are found to be in agreement with measurements over a range of experimental parameters.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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