Radiation pressure acceleration of ultrathin foils

Year: 2010

Authors: Macchi A., Veghini S., Liseykina T.V, Pegoraro F.

Autors Affiliation: Department of Physics ‘E. Fermi’, Largo B Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO), Pisa, Italy;
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany;
Institute of Computational Technologies, SD-RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia;
Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia (CNISM), unità di ricerca di Pisa, Italy

Abstract: The acceleration of sub-wavelength, solid-density plasma foils by the ultraintense radiation pressure of circularly polarized laser pulses is investigated analytically and with simulations. An improved ‘Light Sail’ or accelerating mirror model, accounting for nonlinear self-induced transparency effects, is used for estimating the optimal thickness for acceleration. The model predictions are in good agreement with one-dimensional simulations. These latter are analyzed in detail to unfold the dynamics and self-organization of electrons and ions during the acceleration. Two-dimensional simulations are also performed to address the effects of target bending and of laser intensity inhomogeneity.

Journal/Review: NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS

Volume: 12      Pages from: 045013  to: 045013

More Information: Support from CNR via an RSTL project and use of supercomputing facilities at CINECA (Bologna, Italy) sponsored by the CNR/INFM supercomputing initiative are acknowledged.
DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/12/4/045013

Citations: 117
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