Generation of focusing ion beams by magnetized electron sheath acceleration.

We present the first 3D fully kinetic simulations of laser driven sheath-based ion acceleration with a kilotesla-level applied magnetic field. The application of a strong magnetic field significantly and beneficially alters sheath based ion acceleration and creates two distinct stages in the acceleration process associated with the time-evolving magnetization of the hot electron sheath. The first stage delivers dramatically enhanced acceleration, and the second reverses the typical outward-directed topology of the sheath electric field into a focusing configuration. The net result is a focusing, magnetic field-directed ion source of multiple species with strongly enhanced energy and number. The predicted improvements in ion source characteristics are desirable for applications and suggest a route to experimentally confirm magnetization-related effects in the high energy density regime. We additionally perform a comparison between 2D and 3D simulation geometry, on which basis we predict the feasibility of observing magnetic field effects under experimentally relevant conditions

Birefringence in thermally anisotropic relativistic plasmas and its impact on laser-plasma interactions

One of the paradigm-shifting phenomena triggered in laser-plasma interactions at relativistic intensities is the so-called relativistic transparency. As the electrons become heated by the laser to relativistic energies, the plasma becomes transparent to the laser light even though the plasma density is sufficiently high to reflect the laser pulse in the non-relativistic case. This paper highlights the impact that relativistic transparency can have on laser-matter interactions by focusing on a collective phenomenon that is associated with the onset of relativistic transparency: plasma birefringence in thermally anisotropic relativistic plasmas. The optical properties of such a system become dependent on the polarization of light, and this can serve as the basis for plasma-based optical devices or novel diagnostic capabilities

Direct laser acceleration of electrons assisted by strong laser-driven azimuthal plasma magnetic fields.

A high-intensity laser beam propagating through a dense plasma drives a strong current that robustly sustains a strong quasistatic azimuthal magnetic field. The laser field efficiently accelerates electrons in such a field that confines the transverse motion and deflects the electrons in the forward direction. Its advantage is a threshold rather than resonant behavior, accelerating electrons to high energies for sufficiently strong laser-driven currents. We study the electron dynamics via a test-electron model, specifically deriving the corresponding critical current density. We confirm the model's predictions by numerical simulations, indicating energy gains two orders of magnitude higher than achievable without the magnetic field

Absorption of Ultrashort Laser Pulses in Strongly Overdense Targets

We report on the first absorption experiments of sub-10 fs high-contrast Ti:Sa laser pulses incident on solid targets. The very good contrast of the laser pulse assures the formation of a very small pre-plasma and the pulse interacts with the matter close to solid density. Experimental results indicate that p-polarized laser pulses are absorbed up to 80 percent at 80 degrees incidence angle. The simulation results of PSC PIC code clearly confirm the observations and show that the collisionless absorption works efficiently in steep density profiles

Particle physics with a laser-driven positronium atom

A detailed quantum-electrodynamic calculation of muon pair creation in laser-driven electron-positron collisions is presented. The colliding particles stem from a positronium atom exposed to a superintense laser wave of linear polarization, which allows for high luminosity. The threshold laser intensity of this high-energy reaction amounts to a few 10^22 W/cm^2 in the near-infrared frequency range. The muons produced form an ultrarelativistic, strongly collimated beam, which is explicable in terms of a classical simple-man's model. Our results indicate that the process can be observed at high positronium densities with the help of present-day laser technology.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Coulomb implosion mechanism of negative ion acceleration in laser plasmas

Coulomb implosion mechanism of the negatively charged ion acceleration in laser plasmas is proposed. When a cluster target is irradiated by an intense laser pulse and the Coulomb explosion of positively charged ions occurs, the negative ions are accelerated inward. The maximum energy of negative ions is several times lower than that of positive ions. The theoretical description and Particle-in-Cell simulation of the Coulomb implosion mechanism and the evidence of the negative ion acceleration in the experiments on the high intensity laser pulse interaction with the cluster targets are presented.Comment: 4 page