12 research outputs found
Energy loss enhancement of very intense proton beams in dense matter due to the beam-density effect
Thoroughly understanding the transport and energy loss of intense ion beams
in dense matter is essential for high-energy-density physics and inertial
confinement fusion. Here, we report a stopping power experiment with a
high-intensity laser-driven proton beam in cold, dense matter. The measured
energy loss is one order of magnitude higher than the expectation of individual
particle stopping models. We attribute this finding to the proximity of beam
ions to each other, which is usually insignificant for relatively-low-current
beams from classical accelerators. The ionization of the cold target by the
intense ion beam is important for the stopping power calculation and has been
considered using proper ionization cross section data. Final theoretical values
agree well with the experimental results. Additionally, we extend the stopping
power calculation for intense ion beams to plasma scenario based on Ohm's law.
Both the proximity- and the Ohmic effect can enhance the energy loss of intense
beams in dense matter, which are also summarized as the beam-density effect.
This finding is useful for the stopping power estimation of intense beams and
significant to fast ignition fusion driven by intense ion beams
Anomalous stopping of laser-accelerated intense proton beam in dense ionized matter
Ultrahigh-intensity lasers (10-10W/cm) have opened up new
perspectives in many fields of research and application [1-5]. By irradiating a
thin foil, an ultrahigh accelerating field (10 V/m) can be formed and
multi-MeV ions with unprecedentedly high intensity (10A/cm) in short
time scale (ps) are produced [6-14]. Such beams provide new options in
radiography [15], high-yield neutron sources [16], high-energy-density-matter
generation [17], and ion fast ignition [18,19]. An accurate understanding of
the nonlinear behavior of beam transport in matter is crucial for all these
applications. We report here the first experimental evidence of anomalous
stopping of a laser-generated high-current proton beam in well-characterized
dense ionized matter. The observed stopping power is one order of magnitude
higher than single-particle slowing-down theory predictions. We attribute this
phenomenon to collective effects where the intense beam drives an decelerating
electric field approaching 1GV/m in the dense ionized matter. This finding will
have considerable impact on the future path to inertial fusion energy.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Target density effects on charge tansfer of laser-accelerated carbon ions in dense plasma
We report on charge state measurements of laser-accelerated carbon ions in
the energy range of several MeV penetrating a dense partially ionized plasma.
The plasma was generated by irradiation of a foam target with laser-induced
hohlraum radiation in the soft X-ray regime. We used the tri-cellulose acetate
(CHO) foam of 2 mg/cm density, and -mm interaction
length as target material. This kind of plasma is advantageous for
high-precision measurements, due to good uniformity and long lifetime compared
to the ion pulse length and the interaction duration. The plasma parameters
were diagnosed to be T=17 eV and n=4 10 cm.
The average charge states passing through the plasma were observed to be higher
than those predicted by the commonly-used semiempirical formula. Through
solving the rate equations, we attribute the enhancement to the target density
effects which will increase the ionization rates on one hand and reduce the
electron capture rates on the other hand. In previsous measurement with
partially ionized plasma from gas discharge and z-pinch to laser direct
irradiation, no target density effects were ever demonstrated. For the first
time, we were able to experimentally prove that target density effects start to
play a significant role in plasma near the critical density of Nd-Glass laser
radiation. The finding is important for heavy ion beam driven high energy
density physics and fast ignitions.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 35 conference