Collisionless shocks in laser-produced plasma generate monoenergetic high-energy proton beams

Haberberger, D.; Tochitsky, Sergei; Fiúza, Frederico; Cheng, Gong; Fonseca, Ricardo; Silva, Luís Miguel Oliveira e; Mori, W. B.; Joshi, C.

doi:10.1038/nphys2130

Cited by 413 publications

(375 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…We have followed the field evolution in 2D and 3D simulations and showed that a quasi-steady-state value is reached, with the magnetic field being generated only in the downstream region, in contrary to electromagnetic shocks where the filamentation instability creates a magnetic field across the shock front. We have observed that since the field is generated in the downstream region, the effect of the selfgenerated magnetic field on the formation process is negligible, and the properties of the electrostatic shock, e.g., in terms of ion reflection, are preserved [7,8,42]. On the other hand, the strong field in the downstream region influences the dynamics of the particles in this region, and it can lead to distinct signatures of the shock.…”

Section: -2mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Collisionless shocks have been studied for many decades, mainly in the context of space and astrophysics [1][2][3][4]. Recently, shock acceleration raised significant interest in the quest for a laser-based ion acceleration scheme due to an experimentally demonstrated high beam quality [5][6][7][8].Interpenetrating plasma slabs of hot electrons and cold ions are acting to set up the electrostatic fields via longitudinal plasma instabilities. The lighter electrons leaving the denser regions are held back by the electric fields, which pull the ions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[21]. In this configuration, similar to the configuration employed in recent experiments [6,7], two symmetric shocks moving in opposite directions (along x) are launched from the contact discontinuity at the center of the simulation box, where the two plasma shells initially come in contact. The region between the two shocks defines the downstream of the two nonlinear structures.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Electromagnetic Field Generation in the Downstream of Electrostatic Shocks Due to Electron Trapping

et al. 2014

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A new magnetic field generation mechanism in electrostatic shocks is found, which can produce fields with magnetic energy density as high as 0.01 of the kinetic energy density of the flows on time scales ∼10 4 ω −1 pe . Electron trapping during the shock formation process creates a strong temperature anisotropy in the distribution function, giving rise to the pure Weibel instability. The generated magnetic field is well confined to the downstream region of the electrostatic shock. The shock formation process is not modified, and the features of the shock front responsible for ion acceleration, which are currently probed in laserplasma laboratory experiments, are maintained. However, such a strong magnetic field determines the particle trajectories downstream and has the potential to modify the signatures of the collisionless shock. Collisionless shocks have been studied for many decades, mainly in the context of space and astrophysics [1][2][3][4]. Recently, shock acceleration raised significant interest in the quest for a laser-based ion acceleration scheme due to an experimentally demonstrated high beam quality [5][6][7][8].Interpenetrating plasma slabs of hot electrons and cold ions are acting to set up the electrostatic fields via longitudinal plasma instabilities. The lighter electrons leaving the denser regions are held back by the electric fields, which pull the ions. Particles are trapped in the associated electrostatic potential, which steepens and eventually reaches a quasisteady-state collisionless electrostatic shock. Most of the theoretical work dates back to the 1970s [9-13] relying on the pseudo-Sagdeev potential [14] and progress has been mainly triggered by kinetic simulations [15][16][17][18].The short formation time scales and the one dimensionality of the problem make it easily accessible with theory and computer simulations. However, long time shock evolution was often one dimensional or electrostatic codes were used, and the role of electromagnetic modes was mostly neglected. More advanced multidimensional simulations have shown the importance of electromagnetic modes also in this context, due to transverse modes which are excited on the ion time scale [19,20]. We show that in the case of very high electron temperatures associated with the formation of electrostatic shocks [21], electromagnetic modes become important on electron time scales, creating strong magnetic fields in the downstream of the shock.With the increase in laser energy and intensity, the possibility to drive electrostatic shocks has become important for laboratory experiments of electrostatic shocks. Recent laser-driven shock experiments showed the appearance of an electromagnetic field structure [22][23][24], which was attributed to the ion-filamentation instability [25] that evolves on time scales of ten thousands of the inverse electron plasma frequency, ω −1 pe . As a main outcome of this Letter, we show that these structures can already be seeded and produced on tens of ω −1 pe and remain in a quasisteady state over t...

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Section: -2mentioning

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Electromagnetic Field Generation in the Downstream of Electrostatic Shocks Due to Electron Trapping

et al. 2014

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“…In principle, the available laser power and the properties of the target make it possible to choose the regime of interaction that would allow us to optimize the parameters of the produced ion beam. There are several basic laser ion acceleration mechanisms: (i) target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) [15], (ii) Coulomb explosion (CE) [16], (iii) radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) [17], (iv) magnetic vortex acceleration (MVA) [18,19], and (v) the shock wave acceleration (SWA) [20]. There are also several mechanisms that through either modification or combination of some of the basic regimes enhance the maximum ion energy, number of accelerated ions, or improve their spectrum.…”

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confidence: 99%

Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy

Bulanov

Esarey

Schroeder

et al. 2015

Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams

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The laser driven acceleration of ions is considered a promising candidate for an ion source for hadron therapy of oncological diseases. Though proton and carbon ion sources are conventionally used for therapy, other light ions can also be utilized. Whereas carbon ions require 400 MeV per nucleon to reach the same penetration depth as 250 MeV protons, helium ions require only 250 MeV per nucleon, which is the lowest energy per nucleon among the light ions (heavier than protons). This fact along with the larger biological damage to cancer cells achieved by helium ions, than that by protons, makes this species an interesting candidate for the laser driven ion source. Two mechanisms (magnetic vortex acceleration and hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration) of PW-class laser driven ion acceleration from liquid and gaseous helium targets are studied with the goal of producing 250 MeV per nucleon helium ion beams that meet the hadron therapy requirements. We show that He 3 ions, having almost the same penetration depth as He 4 with the same energy per nucleon, require less laser power to be accelerated to the required energy for the hadron therapy.

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“…In the latter, TW-class 10 µm laser pulses have been applied for accelerating monoenergetic protons from a H 2 plasma [1,2]. Here the advantage of using 10 µm light is the ability to use gas targets since the critical plasma density of 10 19 cm -3 is easily achievable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation of high power, sub-picosecond, 10 µm pulses via self-phase modulation followed by compression

Pigeon¹,

Tochitsky²,

Joshi³

2016

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Collisionless shocks in laser-produced plasma generate monoenergetic high-energy proton beams

Cited by 413 publications

References 38 publications

Electromagnetic Field Generation in the Downstream of Electrostatic Shocks Due to Electron Trapping

Electromagnetic Field Generation in the Downstream of Electrostatic Shocks Due to Electron Trapping

Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy

Generation of high power, sub-picosecond, 10 µm pulses via self-phase modulation followed by compression

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