Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime

M. Zepf; M. Borghesi; P. Mckenna; D. Neely; Z. Najmudin; A. P. L. Robinson; R. Prasad; S. Ter-Avetysian; P.F. Foster; D.C. Carroll; D. Doria; N. Dover; P. Gallegos; J. S. Green; C. A.J. Palmer; L. Romagnani; B. Qiao; K. Quinn; M. Streeter; J. Schreiber; C. Brenner; O. Tresca

Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime

M. Zepf^*, M. Borghesi, P. Mckenna, D. Neely, Z. Najmudin, A. P. L. Robinson, R. Prasad, S. Ter-Avetysian, P.F. Foster, D.C. Carroll, D. Doria, N. Dover, P. Gallegos, J. S. Green, C. A.J. Palmer, L. Romagnani, B. Qiao, K. Quinn, M. Streeter, J. SchreiberC. Brenner, O. Tresca

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution book

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

Accelerating objects using radiation pressure exerted by a beam of light has the potential to accelerate objects to velocities approaching the speed of light. While the dream of using this approach to accelerate macroscopic objects such as spacecraft by this means1 remains far from current technological capabilities, the extreme pressure that can be exerted by the most powerful femtosecond lasers (P=I/c>100Gbar)has made this feasible for micrometer diameter and nanometer thickness foils2. We present the first experimental evidence of foil acceleration in the light-sail regime where the whole foil exposed to laser radiation is pushed forwards by the pressure exerted by the intense laser pulse. Experimental data displaying the key signatures of the light-sail regime – peaked proton spectra for thin foil interactions.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010
Editors	C. McKenna
Place of Publication	Mulhouse, France
Pages	129-132
Number of pages	4
Volume	34A
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2010
Event	37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010 - Dublin, Ireland Duration: 21 Jun 2010 → 25 Jun 2010

Conference

Conference	37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010
Country/Territory	Ireland
City	Dublin
Period	21/06/10 → 25/06/10

Keywords

pressure acceleration
femtosecond lasers
foil acceleration
laser radiation

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Zepf-etal-EPS-2010-Radiation-pressure-acceleration-in-the-lightFinal published version, 181 KBLicence: CC BY 3.0

Cite this

Zepf, M., Borghesi, M., Mckenna, P., Neely, D., Najmudin, Z., Robinson, A. P. L., Prasad, R., Ter-Avetysian, S., Foster, P. F., Carroll, D. C., Doria, D., Dover, N., Gallegos, P., Green, J. S., Palmer, C. A. J., Romagnani, L., Qiao, B., Quinn, K., Streeter, M., ... Tresca, O. (2010). Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime. In C. McKenna (Ed.), 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010 (Vol. 34A, pp. 129-132). Article O3.205.

@inproceedings{42e924524a64420e9aa6438fa807e2ca,

title = "Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime",

abstract = "Accelerating objects using radiation pressure exerted by a beam of light has the potential to accelerate objects to velocities approaching the speed of light. While the dream of using this approach to accelerate macroscopic objects such as spacecraft by this means1 remains far from current technological capabilities, the extreme pressure that can be exerted by the most powerful femtosecond lasers (P=I/c>100Gbar)has made this feasible for micrometer diameter and nanometer thickness foils2. We present the first experimental evidence of foil acceleration in the light-sail regime where the whole foil exposed to laser radiation is pushed forwards by the pressure exerted by the intense laser pulse. Experimental data displaying the key signatures of the light-sail regime – peaked proton spectra for thin foil interactions.",

keywords = "pressure acceleration, femtosecond lasers, foil acceleration, laser radiation",

author = "M. Zepf and M. Borghesi and P. Mckenna and D. Neely and Z. Najmudin and Robinson, {A. P. L.} and R. Prasad and S. Ter-Avetysian and P.F. Foster and D.C. Carroll and D. Doria and N. Dover and P. Gallegos and Green, {J. S.} and Palmer, {C. A.J.} and L. Romagnani and B. Qiao and K. Quinn and M. Streeter and J. Schreiber and C. Brenner and O. Tresca",

year = "2010",

month = dec,

day = "1",

language = "English",

isbn = "2914771622",

volume = "34A",

pages = "129--132",

editor = "C. McKenna",

booktitle = "37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010",

note = "37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010 ; Conference date: 21-06-2010 Through 25-06-2010",

}

Zepf, M, Borghesi, M, Mckenna, P, Neely, D, Najmudin, Z, Robinson, APL, Prasad, R, Ter-Avetysian, S, Foster, PF, Carroll, DC, Doria, D, Dover, N, Gallegos, P, Green, JS, Palmer, CAJ, Romagnani, L, Qiao, B, Quinn, K, Streeter, M, Schreiber, J, Brenner, C & Tresca, O 2010, Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime. in C McKenna (ed.), 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010. vol. 34A, O3.205, Mulhouse, France, pp. 129-132, 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010, Dublin, Ireland, 21/06/10.

TY - GEN

T1 - Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime

AU - Zepf, M.

AU - Borghesi, M.

AU - Mckenna, P.

AU - Neely, D.

AU - Najmudin, Z.

AU - Robinson, A. P. L.

AU - Prasad, R.

AU - Ter-Avetysian, S.

AU - Foster, P.F.

AU - Carroll, D.C.

AU - Doria, D.

AU - Dover, N.

AU - Gallegos, P.

AU - Green, J. S.

AU - Palmer, C. A.J.

AU - Romagnani, L.

AU - Qiao, B.

AU - Quinn, K.

AU - Streeter, M.

AU - Schreiber, J.

AU - Brenner, C.

AU - Tresca, O.

PY - 2010/12/1

Y1 - 2010/12/1

N2 - Accelerating objects using radiation pressure exerted by a beam of light has the potential to accelerate objects to velocities approaching the speed of light. While the dream of using this approach to accelerate macroscopic objects such as spacecraft by this means1 remains far from current technological capabilities, the extreme pressure that can be exerted by the most powerful femtosecond lasers (P=I/c>100Gbar)has made this feasible for micrometer diameter and nanometer thickness foils2. We present the first experimental evidence of foil acceleration in the light-sail regime where the whole foil exposed to laser radiation is pushed forwards by the pressure exerted by the intense laser pulse. Experimental data displaying the key signatures of the light-sail regime – peaked proton spectra for thin foil interactions.

AB - Accelerating objects using radiation pressure exerted by a beam of light has the potential to accelerate objects to velocities approaching the speed of light. While the dream of using this approach to accelerate macroscopic objects such as spacecraft by this means1 remains far from current technological capabilities, the extreme pressure that can be exerted by the most powerful femtosecond lasers (P=I/c>100Gbar)has made this feasible for micrometer diameter and nanometer thickness foils2. We present the first experimental evidence of foil acceleration in the light-sail regime where the whole foil exposed to laser radiation is pushed forwards by the pressure exerted by the intense laser pulse. Experimental data displaying the key signatures of the light-sail regime – peaked proton spectra for thin foil interactions.

KW - pressure acceleration

KW - femtosecond lasers

KW - foil acceleration

KW - laser radiation

UR - http://ocs.ciemat.es/EPS2010PAP/html/

M3 - Conference contribution book

AN - SCOPUS:84875653885

SN - 2914771622

VL - 34A

SP - 129

EP - 132

BT - 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010

A2 - McKenna, C.

CY - Mulhouse, France

T2 - 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010

Y2 - 21 June 2010 through 25 June 2010

ER -

Radiation pressure acceleration in the light-sail regime

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