High-energy, high-resolution x-ray imaging on the Trident short-pulse laser facility

Abstract

With the completion of the Trident laser facility upgrade, 200 TW high-energy laser pulses are now capable of producing x-ray pulses with energies in the range of 15-40 keV, which will be used for high-spatial resolution radiography. A diagnostic suite is being developed on the laser system to investigate and characterize the x-ray emission from high-Z targets. This includes charge coupled device based single-photon counters, imaging plates, a high-energy electronic imager, spectral diagnostics, and optical and x-ray spot size diagnostics. We describe recent x-ray results from a commissioning campaign as well as describe the development and design of a high-energy spectrometer. X-ray radiographs taken at 22 keV with a spatial resolution of 25 mum are a first demonstration on this facility of high-energy, high-spatial resolution capability.

Monoenergetic Ion Beam Generation by Driving Ion Solitary Waves with Circularly Polarized Laser Light

“…In the simulations we observe the generation of an ion soliton and its propagation within the target and facilitating the ion acceleration. The experiments conducted at the Trident Laser facility [26,27] yielded quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions with energies of 35 MeV and an energy spread as low as ±15%, in good agreement with the simulations. This proof-of-principle experiment demonstrates that laser-based particle sources are now capable of delivering the necessary ion energies for ion injectors and medical applications such as hadron therapy of skin or eye tumors.…”

Efficient carbon ion beam generation from laser-driven volume acceleration

“…The data are compared to high-resolution two-dimensional (2D) PIC simulations and to the analytical model published in [19]. The experiments have been carried out at the Trident laser facility [28,29] with 80 J in 550 fs at a wavelength of 1054 nm and linear polarization (s-pol.). An F/3 off-axis parabolic mirror yields a measured on-target focus of 3.8 µm radius (1/e condition, containing >50% of the laser energy) and a peak laser intensity of ∼5 × 10 20 W cm −2 at normal incidence.…”

Laser-driven 1 GeV carbon ions from preheated diamond targets in the break-out afterburner regime

“…We have validated the simulation results for these mixed target dynamics at the Trident laser facility; 35 the laser has 80 J in $550 fs at a wavelength of 1054 nm and linear s-polarization. An F/3 off-axis parabolic mirror yields a measured on-target focus of $6 lm radius (1/e 2 -condition, containing >60% of the laser energy) and a peak intensity 5 Â 10 20 W/cm 2 , closely matching the simulation parameters.…”