Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils

Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo; Remi Capdessus; Martin King; Ross J. Gray; Robbie Wilson; Rachel J. Dance; John McCreadie; Nicholas M. H. Butler; Steve J. Hawkes; James Green; Nicola Booth; Marco Borghesi; David Neely; Paul McKenna

doi:10.3390/app8030336

Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils

Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Remi Capdessus, Martin King, Ross J. Gray, Robbie Wilson, Rachel J. Dance, John McCreadie, Nicholas M. H. Butler, Steve J. Hawkes, James Green, Nicola Booth, Marco Borghesi, David Neely, Paul McKenna

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Abstract

The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense ( ∼ 6 × 10²⁰ Wcm⁻² ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in- cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as a function of foil thickness. The experimental and numerical results are compared with hole-boring and light-sail models of radi- ation pressure acceleration, to identify the foil thickness range for which each model accounts for the measured surface motion. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the onset of relativistic self-induced transparency, in the thinnest targets investigated, limits the velocity of the critical surface, and thus the e ff ectiveness of radiation pressure acceleration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
Journal	Applied Sciences
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030336
Publication status	Published - 27 Feb 2018

Keywords

plasma
ultra-thin foil target
laser pulse

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10.3390/app8030336Licence: CC BY 4.0

Gonzalez-Izquierdo-AS2018-Radiation-pressure-driven-plasma-surface-dynamics-in-ultraFinal published version, 2.45 MBLicence: CC BY 4.0

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Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B., Capdessus, R., King, M., Gray, R. J., Wilson, R., Dance, R. J., McCreadie, J., Butler, N. M. H., Hawkes, S. J., Green, J., Booth, N., Borghesi, M., Neely, D., & McKenna, P. (2018). Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils. Applied Sciences, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030336

@article{c95fafcec04d4732a0c2d208863f2c7e,

title = "Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils",

abstract = "The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense ( ∼ 6 × 1020 Wcm−2 ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in- cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as a function of foil thickness. The experimental and numerical results are compared with hole-boring and light-sail models of radi- ation pressure acceleration, to identify the foil thickness range for which each model accounts for the measured surface motion. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the onset of relativistic self-induced transparency, in the thinnest targets investigated, limits the velocity of the critical surface, and thus the e ff ectiveness of radiation pressure acceleration.",

keywords = "plasma, ultra-thin foil target, laser pulse",

author = "Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo and Remi Capdessus and Martin King and Gray, {Ross J.} and Robbie Wilson and Dance, {Rachel J.} and John McCreadie and Butler, {Nicholas M. H.} and Hawkes, {Steve J.} and James Green and Nicola Booth and Marco Borghesi and David Neely and Paul McKenna",

year = "2018",

month = feb,

day = "27",

doi = "10.3390/app8030336",

language = "English",

pages = "1--18",

journal = "Applied Sciences",

issn = "2076-3417",

publisher = "MDPI AG",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils

AU - Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno

AU - Capdessus, Remi

AU - King, Martin

AU - Gray, Ross J.

AU - Wilson, Robbie

AU - Dance, Rachel J.

AU - McCreadie, John

AU - Butler, Nicholas M. H.

AU - Hawkes, Steve J.

AU - Green, James

AU - Booth, Nicola

AU - Borghesi, Marco

AU - Neely, David

AU - McKenna, Paul

PY - 2018/2/27

Y1 - 2018/2/27

N2 - The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense ( ∼ 6 × 1020 Wcm−2 ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in- cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as a function of foil thickness. The experimental and numerical results are compared with hole-boring and light-sail models of radi- ation pressure acceleration, to identify the foil thickness range for which each model accounts for the measured surface motion. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the onset of relativistic self-induced transparency, in the thinnest targets investigated, limits the velocity of the critical surface, and thus the e ff ectiveness of radiation pressure acceleration.

AB - The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense ( ∼ 6 × 1020 Wcm−2 ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in- cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as a function of foil thickness. The experimental and numerical results are compared with hole-boring and light-sail models of radi- ation pressure acceleration, to identify the foil thickness range for which each model accounts for the measured surface motion. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the onset of relativistic self-induced transparency, in the thinnest targets investigated, limits the velocity of the critical surface, and thus the e ff ectiveness of radiation pressure acceleration.

KW - plasma

KW - ultra-thin foil target

KW - laser pulse

UR - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci

U2 - 10.3390/app8030336

DO - 10.3390/app8030336

M3 - Article

SN - 2076-3417

SP - 1

EP - 18

JO - Applied Sciences

JF - Applied Sciences

ER -

Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils

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Nonlinear Optics and Dynamics of Relativistically Transparent Plasmas

Theoretical and numerical investigations of collective effects in extreme laser-plasma interactions

Laser-Plasma Interactions at the Intensity Frontier: the Transition to the QED-Plasma Regime

Data for: "Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils"

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Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils

Abstract

Keywords

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Other files and links

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Projects

Nonlinear Optics and Dynamics of Relativistically Transparent Plasmas

Theoretical and numerical investigations of collective effects in extreme laser-plasma interactions

Laser-Plasma Interactions at the Intensity Frontier: the Transition to the QED-Plasma Regime

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Data for: "Radiation pressure-driven plasma surface dynamics in ultra-intense laser pulse interactions with ultra-thin foils"

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