302 research outputs found
Fundamental Physics and Relativistic Laboratory Astrophysics with Extreme Power Lasers
The prospects of using extreme relativistic laser-matter interactions for
laboratory astrophysics are discussed. Laser-driven process simulation of
matter dynamics at ultra-high energy density is proposed for the studies of
astrophysical compact objects and the early universe.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures. Invited talk at European Conference on
Laboratory Astrophysics (ECLA), 26-30 September, 2011, Paris, France.
Submitted to European Astronomical Society Publications Serie
Interaction of Electromagnetic Radiation with Luminal Mirror
A modulation of refractive index can move at the speed of light. How it
interacts with an electromagnetic wave? Does it reflect? We show that an
incident electromagnetic wave, depending on its frequency either is totally
transmitted with a phase shift, or forms a standing wave, or is totally
reflected with the frequency upshift. A short incident pulse is converted into
a wavepacket that has all three parts (transmitted, standing and reflected
waves). The reflected part near the interface exhibits an infinitely growing in
time local frequency. The wavepacket's energy spectral density asymptotically
is the inverse square of frequency. If the refractive index modulation
disappears, the high frequency radiation is released.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Sub-TeV proton beam generation by ultra-intense laser irradiation of foil-and-gas target
A two-phase proton acceleration scheme using an ultra-intense laser pulse irradiating a proton foil with a tenuous heavier-ion plasma behind it is presented. The foil electrons are compressed and pushed out as a thin dense layer by the radiation pressure and propagate in the plasma behind at near the light speed. The protons are in turn accelerated by the resulting space-charge field and also enter the backside plasma, but without the formation of a quasistationary double layer. The electron layer is rapidly weakened by the space-charge field. However, the laser pulse originally behind it now snowplows the backside-plasma electrons and creates an intense electrostatic wakefield. The latter can stably trap and accelerate the pre-accelerated proton layer there for a very long distance and thus to very high energies. The two-phase scheme is verified by particle-in-cell simulations and analytical modeling, which also suggests that a 0.54 TeV proton beam can be obtained with a 10(23) W/cm(2) laser pulse. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3684658]Physics, Fluids & PlasmasSCI(E)EI0ARTICLE2null1
Neutrino oscillation studies with laser-driven beam dump facilities
A new mechanism is suggested for efficient proton acceleration in the GeV
energy range; applications to non-conventional high intensity proton drivers
and, hence, to low-energy (10-200 MeV) neutrino sources are discussed. In
particular we investigate possible uses to explore subdominant oscillations at the atmospheric scale and their CP conjugate.
We emphasize the opportunity to develop these facilities in conjunction with
projects for inertial confined nuclear fusion and neutron spallation sources.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, minor changes, version to appear in
Nucl.Instrum.Meth.
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