An explanation for the energetic ions observed in the PetaWatt experiments is presented. In solid target experiments with focused intensities exceeding 10 20 W/cm 2 , high-energy electron generation, hard bremsstrahlung, and energetic protons have been observed on the backside of the target. In this report, we attempt to explain the physical process present that will explain the presence of these energetic protons, as well as explain the number, energy, and angular spread of the protons observed in experiment. In particular, we hypothesize that hot electrons produced on the front of the target are sent through to the back off the target, where they ionize the hydrogen layer there. These ions are then accelerated by the hot electron cloud, to tens of MeV energies in distances of order tens of microns, whereupon they end up being detected in the radiographic and spectrographic detectors.

An intense collimated beam of high-energy protons is emitted normal to the rear surface of thin solid targets irradiated at 1 PW power and peak intensity 3x10(20) W cm(-2). Up to 48 J ( 12%) of the laser energy is transferred to 2x10(13) protons of energy >10 MeV. The energy spectrum exhibits a sharp high-energy cutoff as high as 58 MeV on the axis of the beam which decreases in energy with increasing off axis angle. Proton induced nuclear processes have been observed and used to characterize the beam.

The concept of fast ignition with inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a way to reduce the energy required for ignition and burn and to maximize the gain produced by a single implosion. Based on recent experimental findings at the PETAWATT laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, an intense proton beam to achieve fast ignition is proposed. It is produced by direct laser acceleration and focused onto the pellet from the rear side of an irradiated target and can be integrated into a hohlraum for indirect drive ICF.

In our Petawatt laser experiments several hundred joules of 1 µm laser light in 0.5-5.0 ps pulses with intensities up to 3x10 20 Wcm -2 were incident on solid targets producing a strongly relativistic interaction. The energy content, spectra, and angular patterns of the photon, electron, and ion radiations were diagnosed in a number of ways, including several novel (to laser physics) nuclear activation techniques. From the beamed bremsstrahlung we infer that about 40-50% of the laser energy is converted to broadly beamed hot electrons. Their direction centroid varies from shot to shot, but the beam has a consistent width. Extraordinarily luminous ion beams almost precisely normal to the rear of various targets are seen -up to 3x10 13 protons with kT ion ~ several MeV representing ~6% of the laser energy.We observe ion energies up to at least 55 MeV. The ions appear to originate from the rear target surfaces.The edge of the ion beam is very sharp, and collimation increases with ion energy. At the highest energies, a narrow feature appears in the ion spectra, and the apparent size of the emitting spot is smaller than the full back surface area. Any ion emission from the front of the targets is much less than from the rear and is not sharply beamed. The hot electrons generate a Debye sheath with electrostatic fields of order MV per micron which apparently accelerate the ions.