This research work emphasizes the capability of delivering optically shaped targets through the interaction of nanosecond laser pulses with high-density gas-jet profiles, and explores proton acceleration in the near-critical density regime via magnetic vortex acceleration (MVA). Multiple blast waves (BWs) are generated by laser pulses that compress the gas-jet into near-critical steep gradient slabs of a few micrometres thickness. Geometrical alternatives for delivering the laser pulses into the gas target are explored to efficiently control the characteristics of the density profile. The shock front collisions of the generated BWs are computationally studied by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The efficiency of the proposed target shaping method for MVA is demonstrated for TW-class lasers by a particle-in-cell simulation.

Recent advances in the production of high repetition, high power, and short laser pulse have enabled the generation of high-energy proton beam, required for technology and other medical applications. Here we demonstrate the effective laser driven proton acceleration from near-critical density hydrogen plasma by employing the short and intense laser pulse through three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The generation of strong magnetic field is demonstrated by numerical results and scaled with the plasma density and the electric field of laser. 3D PIC simulation results show the ring shaped proton density distribution where the protons are accelerated along the laser axis with fairly low divergence accompanied by off-axis beam of ring-like shape.