It was recently shown that nanostructured targets with largely spaced gold ultrasmall nanoparticles (NPs) show outstanding performances in enhancing the laser-driven ions' acceleration process due to the higher laser-to-target energy absorption [Vallières et al., Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 22, 091303 (2019)]. Based on this structure, here, an alternative nanostructured design is proposed to promote light/heavy ions' acceleration quality. The scheme relies on using a gold NP layered nanosphere filled with a low-density argon gas. The nanosphere has an inner layer of vanadium and an outer layer of proton–carbon (1:1) mixture. The validity of this suggestion has been simulated by the two-dimensional particle-in-cell code (EPOCH). Simulation results indicate that the interaction of ultra-intense laser (∼4.61 × 1019 W/cm2) with a gas-filled gold NP layered nanosphere can positively decrease the aggregation of electrons stated inside the target, leading to higher Coulomb repulsion between charged ions. Therefore, we can expect the generation of quasi-monoenergetic H+, C6+, V20+, and Au49+, as well as Ar15+ (cutoff energy of ∼0.49 MeV/u and relative divergence angle of 2.9°) at the end of the interaction. From simulations, as the interaction terminates, for a gas-filled gold NP layered nanosphere with an optimal gap space of 80 nm, a cutoff energy increase of roughly 19% for H+, 16.4% for C6+, and rather equal percent of 15.9% for medium-heavy ions (V20+ and Au49+) is obtained with respect to a hollow gold NP layered nanosphere. Moreover, a relative divergence angle decrease of up to nearly 0.29–1.91 times will be calculated for the accelerated ions. Overall, the results verify that a gas-filled gold NP layered nanosphere can be regarded as a candidate for the generation of quasi-monoenergetic ions through the spherical Coulomb explosion regime.

With persistent progress in ultra-intense laser pulses, Coulomb explosion (CE) of spherical nanoclusters can in principle produce high-quality-quasi-monoenergetic ions. Focusing on using CE framework, in this paper, we have proposed a target scheme to accelerate light/heavy ions’ beam. The scheme relies on encapsulating a hollow Gold nanocluster inside a hollow proton-Carbon (HC) nanosphere. The ability of this suggestion has been simulated by the two-dimensional particle-in-cell code (EPOCH). Simulation results exhibit that a hollow Gold cluster can positively increase the electrons’ extraction. This condition may improve the acceleration of low-divergence H+, C6+, and Au67+ ions. Our simulation shows that at the end of the interaction, for a Gold cluster with an optimal hollow radius of 91.3 nm, the cut-off energy of H+, C6+, and Au67+ are about 54.9 MeV/u, 51.5 MeV/u, and 54.9 MeV/u, respectively. In this case, an increase of about 52% for H+ and 61% for C6+ is obtained, contrast to bare HC hollow nanosphere (i.e., a hollow nanosphere with no cluster), while the relative divergence decreases to 1.38 and 1.86, respectively for H+ and C6+ ions. We have also compared our simulation results with another proposed target structure composed of a void area with an optimum diameter of 70.4 nm between the fully- Gold nanocluster and HC nanosphere. We have exhibited that the results are improved, contrast to bare nanosphere. However, the cut-off energy suppression and angular divergence increase are shown compared with encapsulated hollow Gold nanocluster structure.

We may improve plasma ignition quality in a conically guided proton fast ignition scheme by the application of an extra lower intensity, secondary carbon beam. According to the experimental measurements on the number of laser-accelerated ions, the temporal evolution of the hot spot electron, ion, and radiation temperatures was examined using three-temperature plasma model, in radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) mechanisms for a proton-Carbon beam configuration, E avg ≈ 10 MeV/nucleon. The hot spot ignition was evaluated by the well-known stopping power models proposed independently by Li-Petrasso (LP) and Brown-Preston-Singleton (BPS). Based on our analytical results, with time, plasma temperature in the LP model surpasses the BPS model. From this point of view, to compensate this deficiency in the BPS method, we will show that the density ratio of 17% is required when the energy spread is 10%. The results were also validated by the DEIRA-4 code. Moreover, the electron-ion equilibrium will decrease up to 9.3 and 4.4% for the LP and BPS methods, respectively. It is demonstrated that the key features of a higher average ion energy as well as the narrow beam profile in the RPA regime may effectively ignite hot spot much better than in the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) counterpart. It is estimated that the proton-Carbon beam proposal can reduce ion beam energy to 8.42 kJ, approximately saving 15% of ignitor energy. K E Y W O R D Sconically guided fast ignition, laser-accelerated ion beam, proton and carbon beam, RPA, TNSA

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The stopping power of charged particles released by the deuterium–tritium nuclear reactions has been extensively studied in the weakly to moderately coupled plasma regimes. We have modified the conventional effective potential theory (EPT) stopping framework to have a practical connection to investigate the ions energy loss characteristics in fusion plasma. Our modified EPT model differs from the original EPT framework by a coefficient of order $$1 + {2 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {2 {(5}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {(5}}\ln \overline{\Xi }),$$ 1 + 2 / ( 5 ln Ξ ¯ ) , ($$\ln \overline{\Xi }$$ ln Ξ ¯ is a velocity-dependent generalization of the Coulomb logarithm). Molecular dynamics simulations agree well with our modified stopping framework. To study the role of related stopping formalisms in ion fast ignition, we simulate the cone-in-shell configuration under laser-accelerated aluminum beam incidence. In ignition/burn phase, the performance of our modified model is in agreement with its original form and the conventional Li-Petrasso (LP) and Brown-Preston-Singleton (BPS) theories. The LP theory indicates the fastest rate in providing ignition/burn condition. Our modified EPT model with a discrepancy of $$\sim$$ ∼ 9%, has the most agreement with LP theory, while that of the original EPT (with a discrepancy of $$\sim$$ ∼ 47% to LP) and BPS (with a discrepancy of $$\sim$$ ∼ 48% to LP) methods maintain the third and fourth contributions in accelerating the ignition time, respectively.